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Production and Purification of Baculovirus for Gene Therapy Application
Published on: April 9, 2018
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Controlled and customizable baculovirus NOS3 gene delivery using PVA-based hydrogel systems.
Sabrina Schaly1, Paromita Islam1, Jacqueline L Boyajian1
1Biomedical Technology and Cell Therapy Research Laboratory, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
Plos One
|September 21, 2023
Summary
Polyvinyl alcohol hydrogels effectively deliver baculoviruses for nitric oxide gene delivery. This technology offers high loading, sustained release, and hemocompatibility for medical devices and coatings.
Area of Science:
- Biomaterials Science
- Gene Therapy
- Medical Device Engineering
Background:
- Nitric oxide synthase 3 (NOS3) plays a crucial role in nitric oxide production, impacting vasodilation and bacterial growth.
- Baculoviruses are effective vectors for delivering therapeutic genes, including those related to NOS3.
- Polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)-based hydrogels show promise for medical applications due to their biocompatibility and tunable properties.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and characterize PVA-based hydrogels for sustained delivery of baculoviruses.
- To investigate the impact of hydrogel composition and processing on baculovirus loading, viability, and elution.
- To evaluate the hemocompatibility and non-cytotoxicity of the baculovirus-eluting hydrogels.
Main Methods:
- Formulation of PVA-based hydrogels with varying compositions (gelatin, chitosan, PEG-8000).
- Assessment of baculovirus loading capacity and viability after freeze-thaw cycles.
- Evaluation of sustained baculovirus elution profiles over time.
- Hemocompatibility and cytotoxicity assays using relevant biological models.
Main Results:
- PVA hydrogels sustained baculovirus elution for 5-25 days, depending on composition.
- Gelatin addition protected baculovirus viability during freeze-thaw cycles, achieving 94.6% loading with 23-day elution.
- Passive absorption into PVA hydrogels yielded the highest loading (96.4%) with 25-day elution.
- The developed hydrogels were hemocompatible and non-cytotoxic.
Conclusions:
- PVA-based hydrogels provide an effective system for high loading and sustained release of baculoviruses.
- This technology enables sustained nitric oxide gene delivery with potential applications in medical devices and coatings.
- The hemocompatible and non-cytotoxic nature of the hydrogels supports their use in improving blood compatibility and preventing infection.
