[An experimental study of human tracheal epithelial transfer of human neutrophil defensin gene]

This study was amied at the possibility of production of the human neutrophil defensin in human tracheal epithelial cells when transfected with it's gene by using liposome. The plasmid vector carrying the human neutrophil defensin HNP1 (human Neutrophil Peptide-1) gene was used to transfect the human tracheal epithelial cells cultured in serum-free complement medium by lipofection reagent. Antiserum of HNP1 was prepared and used for the immunocytochemistry staining to detect expression of HNP1 gene in human tracheal epithelial cells. The result showed that recombinant eukaryote expression plasmid-pBabe-Neo-HNP1 could be transducted into human tracheal epithelial cells by liposomal transfection method. Transducted cells showed strong positive staining for HNP by immunohistochemistry assay. It was suggested that HNP1 gene could be productively transduced into human tracheal epithelial cells and expressed by using liposome. Antibiotic peptide gene might be used for gene therapy of respiratory infections.