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Updated: Jul 19, 2026
Therapeutic Gene Delivery and Transfection in Human Pancreatic Cancer Cells using Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor-targeted Gelatin Nanoparticles
Published on: January 4, 2012
Receptor-mediated gene delivery using polyethylenimine (PEI) coupled with polypeptides targeting FGF receptors on
Da Li1, Qing-qing Wang, Gu-ping Tang
1Institute of Immunology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China.
Objective:
To construct a novel kind of nonviral gene delivery vector based on polyethylenimine (PEI) conjugated with polypeptides derived from ligand FGF with high transfection efficiency and according to tumor targeting ability.
Methods:
The synthetic polypeptides CR16 for binding FGF receptors was conjugated to PEI and the characters of the polypeptides including DNA condensing and particle size were determined. Enhanced efficiency and the targeting specificity of the synthesized vector were investigated in vitro and in vivo.
Results:
The polypeptides were successfully coupled to PEI. The new vectors PEI-CR16 could efficiently condense pDNA into particles with around 200 nm diameter. The PEI-CR16/pDNA polyplexes showed significantly greater transgene activity than PEI/pDNA in FGF receptors positive tumor cells in vitro and in vivo gene transfer, while no difference was observed in FGF receptors negative tumor cells. The enhanced transfection efficiency of PEI-CR16 could be blocked by excess free polypeptides.
Conclusion:
The synthesized vector could improve the efficiency of gene transfer and targeting specificity in FGF receptors positive cells. The vector had good prospect for use in cancer gene therapy.
