Since its first harnessing in gene editing in 2012 and successful application in mammalian gene editing in 2013, the CRISPR-Cas9 system exerted magnificent power in all gene-editing-related applications, indicating a sharp thrive of this novel technology. However, there are still some critical drawbacks of the CRISPR-Cas9 system that hampered its broad application in gene editing. Efficient delivery of the Cas9 protein and its partner small guide RNA (sgRNA) to the target cells or tissue is one of the technical bottlenecks. CRISPR-Cas9 delivery via DNA plasmids still plays the big role in gene editing methods. With regard to the disadvantages of CRISPR-Cas9 plasmids, the most acute barrier lies in its large size (>10 kb) and the subsequent low transfection efficiency by conventional transfection method. In this chapter, what we present is an easy method by fabricating CRISPR-Cas9 plasmids into nanoparticle system and efficiently delivered into target cells to achieve gene editing.
Keywords: Artificial virus; Branched polyethylene imine; CRISPR-Cas9; Heptafluorobutyric anhydride; Transfection.