Graphene Nanoribbon-Based Platform for Highly Efficacious Nuclear Gene Delivery.

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Gene Therapy
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• Current nonviral vectors for gene delivery face challenges in versatility, efficacy, and toxicity.
• Developing efficient and safe nonviral vectors is crucial for advancing gene therapy.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate oxidized graphene nanoribbons (O-GNRs) as nonviral vectors for gene therapy.
• To evaluate O-GNRs' cytotoxicity, cellular uptake, and gene delivery/transfection efficiencies in vitro.

Main Methods:

• In vitro studies using O-GNRs with plasmid DNA and siRNA.
• Assessed cytotoxicity, intracellular and nuclear uptake in HeLa and HUVEC cells.
• Measured gene delivery and transfection efficiencies using EGFP plasmid and GAPDH siRNA.

Main Results:

• O-GNRs effectively loaded small and large genetic materials without additional functionalization.
• O-GNRs exhibited lower cytotoxicity than commercial vectors (Polyethylenimine, Fugene 6) at therapeutic doses.
• High gene delivery and transfection efficiencies (96-98%) were observed in a concentration- and time-dependent manner.

Conclusions:

• O-GNRs demonstrate significant potential as versatile and efficient nonviral gene delivery vectors.
• Their low cytotoxicity and high transfection efficiency make them promising for gene therapy in diverse cell types.