Biomimetic cell membrane coated nanoparticles (NPs) with desirable features have been extensively applied for various personalized biomedicine. However, there have not been relative explorations by employing the membrane nanocomplexes for small interfering RNA (siRNA) delivery. Herein, Fe3O4@PDA NPs with good photothermal capability were applied for efficient siRNA loading and delivery, which were then coated by mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) to form a membrane. The data showed that MSCs membrane coated Fe3O4@PDA-siRNA NPs (Fe3O4@PDA-siRNA@MSCs) maintained the photothermal functionality and the capability of magnetic resonance imaging inherited from Fe3O4@PDA. The synthesized nanocomplexes exhibited excellent abilities in the delivery of siRNA into DU145 cells. Furthermore, Fe3O4@PDA-siRNA@MSCs NPs delivering siRNA against Plk1 gene could inhibit the expression of endogenous Plk1 gene and cause obvious apoptosis in DU145 cells. The synergistic combination of photothermal treatment and gene silencing showed obvious antitumor efficacy in a DU145 xenograft mice model. On the basis of preliminary in vitro and in vivo studies, Fe3O4@PDA-siRNA@MSCs NPs hold considerable promise as a carrier for gene and photothermal therapy.
Keywords: gene therapy; magnetic resonance imaging; photothermal therapy; stem cell membrane.