A Pilot Study Evaluating Combinatorial and Simultaneous Delivery of Polyethylenimine-Plasmid DNA Complexes Encoding for VEGF and PDGF for Bone Regeneration in Calvarial Bone Defects

Curr Pharm Biotechnol. 2015;16(7):655-60. doi: 10.2174/138920101607150427112753.

Abstract

Gene therapy is a promising strategy to deliver growth factors of interest locally in a sustained fashion and has the potential to overcome barriers to using recombinant protein therapy such as sustainability and cost. Recent studies demonstrate the safety and efficacy of non-viral delivery of plasmid DNA (pDNA) encoding a single growth factor to enhance bone healing. This pilot study is aimed at testing a non-viral gene delivery system that can deliver two different plasmids encoding two different growth factors. Polyethylenimine (PEI), a cationic polymer, was utilized as a gene delivery vector and collagen scaffold was used as a carrier to deliver the PEI-pDNA complexes encoding platelet derived growth factor B (PDGF-B) and/or vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). Calvarial defects in rats were implanted with scaffolds containing PEI-pPDGF-B complexes, PEI-pVEGF complexes or containing both PEIpPDGF- B and PEI-pVEGF complexes in a 1:1 ratio of plasmids. The results indicated that bone regeneration as measured using micro-CT and histological assessments was inferior in groups treated with PEI-(pPDGF-B + pVEGF) complexes, compared to defects treated with PEI-pPDGF-B complexes. This pilot study that explores the feasibility and efficacy of combinatorial non-viral gene delivery system for bone regeneration appears to provide a rationale for investigation of sequential delivery of growth factors at specific time points during the healing phases and this will be explored further in future studies.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Bone Regeneration / genetics*
  • Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor / administration & dosage
  • Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor / genetics*
  • DNA / administration & dosage
  • DNA / genetics
  • Gene Transfer Techniques
  • Pilot Projects
  • Plasmids / administration & dosage
  • Plasmids / genetics*
  • Polyethyleneimine* / administration & dosage
  • Rats
  • Skull / pathology
  • Skull / physiology*
  • Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / administration & dosage
  • Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / genetics*

Substances

  • Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor
  • Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A
  • brain-derived growth factor
  • vascular endothelial growth factor A, rat
  • Polyethyleneimine
  • DNA