Polyethyleneimine-modified calcium carbonate nanoparticles for p53 gene delivery

CaCO3 nanoparticle-encapsulated CHA circuits for sensitive fluorescence detection of miRNA in living cells

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) serve as important biomarkers for various diseases, including malignant tumors, and have broad applications in diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis. The development of real-time in situ imaging methods for monitoring miRNAs has both scientific and clinical value, and in this regard, catalytic hairpin assemblies (CHAs) can be used as precise and efficient nucleic acid circuits that facilitate hybridization without depleting targets. In this study, we developed a detection system based on CHA circuits encapsulated within CaCO3 nanoparticles, which represents a novel strategy for the detection of human pancreatic cancer. This encapsulation facilitates the pH-sensitive release of DNA probes, thereby ensuring the selective and sensitive detection of cancer-associated miRNAs. Our experimental results confirmed that the fabricated nanoparticles contributed to enhancing the stability and performance of the DNA circuits, thereby enabling precise miRNA detection and effective discrimination between cancerous and non-cancerous cells. Our findings in this study highlight the potential utility of CaCO3 nanoparticle-encapsulated CHA circuits for advancing miRNA-based cancer diagnostics and therapeutics.

Advancements in p53-Based Anti-Tumor Gene Therapy Research

The p53 gene is one of the genes most closely associated with human tumors and has become a popular target for tumor drug design. Currently, p53-based gene therapy techniques have been developed, but these therapies face challenges such as immaturity, high safety hazards, limited efficacy, and low patient acceptance. However, researchers are no less enthusiastic about the treatment because of its theoretical potential to treat cancer. In this paper, the advances in p53-based gene therapy and related nucleic acid delivery technologies were reviewed and prospected in order to support further development in this field.

CaCO3 Nanoparticles Delivering MicroRNA-200c Suppress Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma

MicroRNA (miR)-200c suppresses the initiation and progression of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC), the most prevalent head and neck cancer with high recurrence, metastasis, and mortality rates. However, miR-200c-based gene therapy to inhibit OSCC growth has yet to be reported. To develop an miR-based gene therapy to improve the outcomes of OSCC treatment, this study investigates the feasibility of plasmid DNA (pDNA) encoding miR-200c delivered via nonviral CaCO3-based nanoparticles to inhibit OSCC tumor growth. CaCO3-based nanoparticles with various ratios of CaCO3 and protamine sulfate (PS) were used to transfect pDNA encoding miR-200c into OSCC cells, and the efficiency of these nanoparticles was evaluated. The proliferation, migration, and associated oncogene production, as well as in vivo tumor growth for OSCC cells overexpressing miR-200c, were also quantified. It was observed that, while CaCO3-based nanoparticles improve transfection efficiencies of pDNA miR-200c, the ratio of CaCO3 to PS significantly influences the transfection efficiency. Overexpression of miR-200c significantly reduced proliferation, migration, and oncogene expression of OSCC cells, as well as the tumor size of cell line-derived xenografts (CDX) in mice. In addition, a local administration of pDNA miR-200c using CaCO3 delivery significantly enhanced miR-200c transfection and suppressed tumor growth of CDX in mice. These results strongly indicate that the nanocomplexes of CaCO3/pDNA miR-200c may potentially be used to reduce oral cancer recurrence and improve clinical outcomes in OSCC treatment, while more comprehensive examinations to confirm the safety and efficacy of the CaCO3/pDNA miR-200c system using various preclinical models are needed.

Recent Advances of Calcium Carbonate Nanoparticles for Biomedical Applications

Calcium carbonate nanoparticles have been widely used in biomedicine due to their biocompatibility and biodegradability. Recently, calcium carbonate nanoparticles are largely integrated with imaging contrast and therapeutic agents for various imaging and therapeutic approaches. In this review, we first described the advantages and preparation methods of calcium carbonate nanoparticles, then the state-of-the-art progress of calcium carbonate nanoparticles in diagnosis, treatment and theranostics was summarized. Finally, we discussed the challenges and recommendations for future studies of the calcium carbonate nanoparticles.

Plasmid encoding miRNA-200c delivered by CaCO3-based nanoparticles enhances rat alveolar bone formation

Aim: miRNAs have been shown to improve the restoration of craniofacial bone defects. This work aimed to enhance transfection efficiency and miR-200c-induced bone formation in alveolar bone defects via plasmid DNA encoding miR-200c delivery from CaCO₃ nanoparticles. Materials & methods: The CaCO₃/miR-200c delivery system was evaluated in vitro (microscopy, transfection efficiency, biocompatibility) and miR-200c-induced in vivo alveolar bone formation was assessed via micro-computed tomography and histology. Results: CaCO₃ nanoparticles significantly enhanced the transfection of plasmid DNA encoding miR-200c without inflammatory effects and sustained miR-200c expression. CaCO₃/miR-200c treatment in vivo significantly increased bone formation in rat alveolar bone defects. Conclusion: CaCO₃ nanoparticles enhance miR-200c delivery to accelerate alveolar bone formation, thereby demonstrating the application of CaCO₃/miR-200c to craniofacial bone defects.

Mineralized vectors for gene therapy

There is an intense interest in developing materials for safe and effective delivery of polynucleotides using non-viral vectors. Mineralization of organic templates has long been used to produce complex materials with outstanding biocompatibility. However, a lack of control over mineral growth has limited the applicability of mineralized materials to a few in vitro applications. With better control over mineral growth and surface functionalization, mineralized vectors have advanced significantly in recent years. Here, we review the recent progress in chemical synthesis, physicochemical properties, and applications of mineralized materials in gene therapy, focusing on structure-function relationships. We contrast the classical understanding of the mineralization mechanism with recent ideas of mineralization. A brief introduction to gene delivery is summarized, followed by a detailed survey of current mineralized vectors. The vectors derived from calcium phosphate are articulated and compared to other minerals with unique features. Advanced mineral vectors derived from templated mineralization and specialty coatings are critically analyzed. Mineral systems beyond the co-precipitation are explored as more complex multicomponent systems. Finally, we conclude with a perspective on the future of mineralized vectors by carefully demarcating the boundaries of our knowledge and highlighting ambiguous areas in mineralized vectors. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: Therapy by gene-based medicines is increasingly utilized to cure diseases that are not alleviated by conventional drug therapy. Gene medicines, however, rely on macromolecular nucleic acids that are too large and too hydrophilic for cellular uptake. Without tailored materials, they are not functional for therapy. One emerging class of nucleic acid delivery system is mineral-based materials. The fact that they can undergo controlled dissolution with minimal footprint in biological systems are making them attractive for clinical use, where safety is utmost importance. In this submission, we will review the emerging synthesis technology and the range of new generation minerals for use in gene medicines.

Quantum Dots-siRNA Nanoplexes for Gene Silencing in Central Nervous System Tumor Cells

RNA interfering (RNAi) using short interfering RNA (siRNA) is becoming a promising approach for cancer gene therapy. However, owing to the lack of safe and efficient carriers, the application of RNAi for clinical use is still very limited. In this study, we have developed cadmium sulphoselenide/Zinc sulfide quantum dots (CdSSe/ZnS QDs)-based nanocarriers for in vitro gene delivery. These CdSSe/ZnS QDs are functionalized with polyethyleneimine (PEI) to form stable nanoplex (QD-PEI) and subsequently they are used for siRNA loading which specially targets human telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT). High gene transfection efficiency (>80%) was achieved on two glioblastoma cell lines, U87 and U251. The gene expression level (49.99 ± 10.23% for U87, 43.28 ± 9.66% for U251) and protein expression level (51.58 ± 7.88% for U87, 50.69 ± 7.59% for U251) of TERT is observed to decrease substantially after transfecting the tumor cells for 48 h. More importantly, the silencing of TERT gene expression significantly suppressed the proliferation of glioblastoma cells. No obvious cytotoxicity from these QD-PEI nanoplexes were observed over at 10 times of the transfected doses. Based on these results, we envision that QDs engineered here can be used as a safe and efficient gene nanocarrier for siRNA delivery and a promising tool for future cancer gene therapy applications.