title: Augmentation of transgenic expression by ultrasound‑mediated liposome             microbubble destruction.
abstract: Non-invasive, efficient and tissue-specific transgenic technologies could be valuable in gene therapy. Although non-viral carriers may be safer and cheaper, they have a much lower transfection efficiency than viral gene carriers. The present study was designed to test the transgenic expression and safety of red fluorescent protein (RFP) in HeLa cells in vitro and in transplanted tumors of nude mice in vivo under ultrasound-mediated liposome microbubble destruction (UMLMD) conditions. Plasmids containing RFP were gently mixed with liposome microbubbles (LMs). The mixture was added to HeLa cells or injected into BALB/c mice by the tail vein under various ultrasound exposure and LM parameters, and then the transfection efficiencies were examined. The results in vivo and in vitro demonstrated that, following a comparison of the plasmid group, the ultrasound + plasmid group and the LM + plasmid group, UMLMD significantly increased the transgenic expression (P<0.01) without causing any apparent detrimental effect. From the study, we concluded that UMLMD could be a non-invasive, effective and promising non-viral technique for gene therapy and transgenic research.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Ultrasound, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou 510150, PR China.
authors.forename: Zhi-Yi
authors.initials: ZY
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Xiao-Fang
authors.initials: XF
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: Jian-Qiao
authors.initials: JQ
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Bing
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Si-Tu
authors.forename: Ri-Xiang
authors.initials: RX
authors.lastname: Qiu
authors.forename: Kun
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Liang
authors.forename: Jian-Hua
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Wei-Xiang
authors.initials: WX
authors.lastname: Liang
authors.forename: Xin-Xin
authors.initials: XX
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Hua
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Jiang-Xiu
authors.initials: JX
authors.lastname: Yu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D018014:Gene Transfer Techniques; D006367:HeLa Cells; D006801:Humans; D008081:Liposomes / Q000737:chemistry*; D008164:Luminescent Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008819:Mice, Nude; D045423:Microbubbles; D010957:Plasmids / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D013010:Sonication; D014162:Transfection; D000097573:Red Fluorescent Protein
chemical_list: D008081:Liposomes; D008164:Luminescent Proteins; D000097573:Red Fluorescent Protein