Lentivirus delivery by adsorption to tissue engineering scaffolds

Area of Science:

• Regenerative Medicine
• Biomaterials Science
• Gene Therapy

Background:

• Biomaterial scaffolds are crucial for regenerative medicine and tissue formation studies.
• Localized gene delivery systems are needed for advanced therapeutic applications.
• Lentiviral vectors offer efficient gene delivery but require effective immobilization strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate lentivirus delivery from tissue engineering scaffolds using surface immobilization.
• To evaluate the efficacy of poly(lactide-co-glycolide) scaffolds for lentivirus delivery.
• To assess the impact of cryopreservation and surface coatings on viral activity and release.

Main Methods:

• Poly(lactide-co-glycolide) scaffolds were used for lentivirus immobilization via freezing and lyophilization.
• Sucrose was used as a cryoprotectant to maintain lentivirus activity.
• Collagen and fibronectin coatings were tested for enhanced viral binding and transduction.

Main Results:

• Sucrose successfully maintained lentivirus activity during freezing and lyophilization.
• Fibronectin showed a modest increase in adenovirus binding but not lentivirus delivery.
• Immobilized lentivirus was primarily released within 24 hours, with sustained in vivo transgene expression for at least 4 weeks.

Conclusions:

• Surface immobilization of lentivirus on PLG scaffolds is a viable strategy for localized gene delivery.
• This method provides sustained transgene expression in vivo, showing potential for regenerative medicine.
• This is the first report of lentiviral vector delivery from porous tissue engineering scaffolds.