Efficient production of retroviruses using PLGA/bPEI-DNA nanoparticles and application for reprogramming somatic cells

PLoS One. 2013 Sep 30;8(9):e76875. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0076875. eCollection 2013.

Abstract

Reprogramming of somatic cells to pluripotent cells requires the introduction of factors driving fate switches. Viral delivery has been the most efficient method for generation of induced pluripotent stem cells. Transfection, which precedes virus production, is a commonly-used process for delivery of nucleic acids into cells. The aim of this study is to evaluate the efficiency of PLGA/ bPEI nanoparticles in transfection and virus production. Using a modified method of producing PLGA nanoparticles, PLGA/bPEI-DNA nanoparticles were examined for transfection efficiency and virus production yield in comparison with PLGA-DNA, bPEI-DNA nanoparticles or liposome-DNA complexes. After testing various ratios of PLGA, bPEI, and DNA, the ratio of 6:3:1 (PLGA:bPEI:DNA, w/w/w) was determined to be optimal, with acceptable cellular toxicity. PLGA/bPEI-DNA (6:3:1) nanoparticles showed superior transfection efficiency, especially in multiple gene transfection, and viral yield when compared with liposome-DNA complexes. The culture supernatants of HEK293FT cells transfected with PLGA/bPEI-DNA of viral constructs containing reprogramming factors (Oct4, Sox2, Klf4, or c-Myc) successfully and more efficiently generated induced pluripotent stem cell colonies from mouse embryonic fibroblasts. These results strongly suggest that PLGA/bPEI-DNA nanoparticles can provide significant advantages in studying the effect of multiple factor delivery such as in reprogramming or direct conversion of cell fate.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Cell Dedifferentiation / genetics*
  • DNA / chemistry*
  • Flow Cytometry
  • Genetic Therapy / methods
  • HEK293 Cells
  • Humans
  • Immunohistochemistry
  • Kruppel-Like Factor 4
  • Lactic Acid / chemistry*
  • Mice
  • Microscopy, Fluorescence
  • NIH 3T3 Cells
  • Nanoparticles / chemistry*
  • Polyethyleneimine / chemistry*
  • Polyglycolic Acid / chemistry*
  • Polylactic Acid-Polyglycolic Acid Copolymer
  • Retroviridae / genetics*
  • Transfection / methods*

Substances

  • KLF4 protein, human
  • Klf4 protein, mouse
  • Kruppel-Like Factor 4
  • Polylactic Acid-Polyglycolic Acid Copolymer
  • Polyglycolic Acid
  • Lactic Acid
  • Polyethyleneimine
  • DNA

Grants and funding

This research was supported by programs through the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) funded by the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology (2010-0020274, 2010- 0014876). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.