A Polyamidoamine Dendrimer-Capped Mesoporous Silica Nanosphere-Based Gene Transfection Reagent

We synthesized a MCM-41-type mesoporous silica nanosphere (MSN)-based gene transfection system, where second generation (G2) polyamidoamines (PAMAMs) were covalently attached to the surface of MSN. The G2-PAMAM-capped MSN material (G2-MSN) was used to complex with a plasmid DNA (pEGFP-C1) that encodes for an enhanced green fluorescence protein. The gene transfection efficacy, uptake mechanism, and biocompatibility of the G2-MSN system with various cell types, such as neural glia (astrocytes), human cervical cancer (HeLa), and Chinese hamster ovarian (CHO) cells, were investigated. The mesoporous structure of the MSN material allows membrane-impermeable molecules, such as pharmaceutical drugs and fluorescent dyes, to be encapsulated inside the MSN channels. The system renders the possibility to serve as a universal transmembrane carrier for intracellular drug delivery and imaging applications.