Poly-L-Lysine-Lactobionic Acid-Capped Selenium Nanoparticles for Liver-Targeted Gene Delivery

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Nanotechnology
• Cancer Research

Background:

• Liver cancer is a leading global cause of cancer mortality.
• Selenium nanoparticles (SeNPs) offer antioxidant and anticancer properties.
• Nanocarriers are crucial for effective gene therapy delivery.

Purpose of the Study:

• To design and characterize SeNPs for targeted gene delivery to liver cancer cells.
• To functionalize SeNPs with poly-L-lysine (PLL) and lactobionic acid (LA).
• To evaluate the efficiency and safety of SeNP-mediated gene delivery in hepatocellular carcinoma (HepG2) cells.

Main Methods:

• SeNPs synthesized via ascorbic acid reduction.
• Functionalization with poly-L-lysine (PLL) for stabilization and positive charge.
• Decoration with lactobionic acid (LA) for hepatocyte targeting.
• Characterization of SeNP size, morphology, and DNA binding capabilities.
• In vitro assessment of cytotoxicity and transfection efficiency in HepG2 and HEK293 cells.

Main Results:

• Synthesized SeNPs were spherical, nanoscale (<130 nm), and effectively bound and protected pDNA.
• Functionalized SeNP nanocomplexes showed minimal cytotoxicity (<30%).
• Targeted LA-PLL-SeNP nanocomplexes demonstrated significantly enhanced transgene expression in HepG2 cells compared to HEK293 cells, confirming receptor-mediated endocytosis.

Conclusions:

• Functionalized SeNPs are effective nanocarriers for liver cancer gene therapy.
• LA-PLL-SeNP facilitates targeted delivery and enhanced gene expression in hepatocellular carcinoma.
• These SeNPs show potential for developing novel liver cancer treatments.