Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 31, 2026
25:12
Mechanical Stimulation of Stem Cells Using Cyclic Uniaxial Strain
Published on: July 29, 2007
12.7K
Enhancing Cytoplasmic Expression of Exogenous mRNA Through Dynamic Mechanical Stimulation
Jiawen Chen1, Aneri Patel1, Mohammad Mir1
1Department of Biomedical Engineering, Stevens Institute of Technology, Hoboken, NJ, 07030, USA.
Advanced Healthcare Materials
|October 23, 2024
Summary
Mechanical oscillation enhances endosomal escape for lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) carrying mRNA. This safe method improves mRNA transfection efficiency and gene expression, offering a promising approach for nucleic acid therapies.
Area of Science:
- Biotechnology
- Nanomedicine
- Molecular Biology
Background:
- Ionizable lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) are crucial for nucleic acid delivery in therapies and vaccines.
- Limited endosomal escape of nucleic acid cargos from LNPs hinders treatment efficacy and can cause side effects.
- Improving endosomal escape is essential for optimizing LNP-based gene delivery.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the use of mechanical oscillation to enhance LNP-mediated endosomal escape.
- To evaluate the impact of mechanical oscillation on mRNA delivery and transfection efficiency.
- To assess the safety and cellular impact of the mechanical oscillation method.
Main Methods:
- Utilized mechanical oscillation at a frequency of 65 Hz to stimulate LNP-mediated endosomal escape.
- Analyzed the combination and fusion of LNPs with opposite surface charges under oscillation.
- Assessed mRNA endosomal escape, transfection efficiency, cell viability, mitochondrial membrane potential, and Golgi apparatus integrity.
Main Results:
- Mechanical oscillation induced fusion between oppositely charged LNPs, enhancing endosomal escape of mRNA.
- Transfection efficiency of mRNA was significantly increased by the oscillation treatment.
- Cell viability remained high (99.3%), with no significant damage to mitochondrial membrane potential or Golgi apparatus.
Conclusions:
- Mechanical oscillation is a user-friendly and safe method to improve LNP-mediated endosomal escape of mRNA.
- This approach effectively boosts mRNA transfection and gene expression, with minimal cellular toxicity.
- The findings suggest potential applications in research and clinical settings for enhanced LNP-based nucleic acid delivery.
Keywords:
endosomal escapegene expressionionizable lipid nanoparticlesmRNA therapymechanical oscillationMore Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
01:42What is Gene Expression?
Overview
Gene expression is the process in which DNA directs the synthesis of functional products, that is, proteins. Cells can regulate gene expression at various stages. It allows organisms to generate different cell types and enables cells to adapt to internal and external factors.
Genetic Information Flows from DNA to RNA to Protein
A gene is a stretch of DNA that serves as the blueprint for functional RNAs and proteins. Since DNA is made up of nucleotides and proteins consist of amino...
Gene expression is the process in which DNA directs the synthesis of functional products, that is, proteins. Cells can regulate gene expression at various stages. It allows organisms to generate different cell types and enables cells to adapt to internal and external factors.
Genetic Information Flows from DNA to RNA to Protein
A gene is a stretch of DNA that serves as the blueprint for functional RNAs and proteins. Since DNA is made up of nucleotides and proteins consist of amino...
01:58Cell Specific Gene Expression
Multicellular organisms contain a variety of structurally and functionally distinct cell types, but the DNA in all the cells originated from the same parent cells. The differences in the cells can be attributed to the differential gene expression. Liver cells, whose functions include detoxification of blood, production of bile to metabolize fats, and synthesis of proteins essential for metabolism, must express a specific set of genes to perform their functions. Gene expression also varies with...
01:13Formation of Muscle Fibers from Myoblasts
De novo myogenesis, or the formation of muscle fibers, begins during the early embryonic stages. The skeletal muscle is formed from somites– blocks of embryonic cell layers. The somites are further divided into dermatomes, myotomes, sclerotomes, and syndetomes. Among these, the myotomes give rise to muscle fibers.
Muscle progenitor cells (MPCs) are formed from the myotomes. MPCs express genes that encode the transcription factors Pax3 and Pax7. Along with Pax 3/7, other transcription factors...
Muscle progenitor cells (MPCs) are formed from the myotomes. MPCs express genes that encode the transcription factors Pax3 and Pax7. Along with Pax 3/7, other transcription factors...
01:36What is Gene Expression?
A gene is a stretch of DNA that serves as the blueprint for functional RNAs and proteins. Since DNA is comprised of nucleotides and proteins are comprised of amino acids, a mediator is required to convert the information encoded in DNA into proteins. This mediator is the messenger RNA (mRNA). mRNA copies the blueprint from DNA by a process called transcription. In eukaryotes, transcription occurs in the nucleus by complementary base-pairing with the DNA template. The mRNA is then processed and...
01:24Methods of Nuclear Reprogramming
Nuclear reprogramming is a process of transforming one cell type into an unrelated cell type by epigenetic changes that alter the cell’s original gene expression pattern. Such epigenetic changes force cells to express a different set of genes, which play a significant role in inducing transformation into other cell types. Nuclear reprogramming offers applications in reproductive cloning for livestock propagation and regenerative medicine — developing patient-specific cells for injury repair.
01:23Regulation of Expression at Multiple Steps
The gene expression in cells is regulated at different stages: (i) transcription, (ii) RNA processing, (iii) RNA localization, and (iv) translation. Transcriptional regulation is mediated by regulatory proteins such as transcription factors, activators, or repressors—these control gene expression by initiating or inhibiting the transcription of genes. Once a precursor or pre-mRNA is produced, it undergoes post-transcriptional modification, including 5' capping, splicing, and the addition of a...