Sepiolite is a nanofibrous natural silicate that can be used as a nanocarrier for DNA transfer thanks to its strong interaction with DNA molecules and its ability to be naturally internalized into mammalian cells through both non-endocytic and endocytic pathways. Sepiolite, due to its ability to bind various biomolecules, could be a good candidate for use as a nanocarrier for the simultaneous vectorization of diverse biological molecules. In this paper, we review our recent work, issued from a starting collaboration with Prof. Ruiz-Hitzky, that includes diverse aspects on the characterization and main features of sepiolite/DNA nanohybrids, and we present an outlook for the further development of sepiolite for DNA transfer.
Keywords: Clays; DNA; Mammalian Cell transfection; Sepiolite.
© 2018 The Chemical Society of Japan & Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.