Chitosan-Coated Red Fluorescent Protein Nanoparticle as a Potential Dual-Functional siRNA Carrier

Abstract

Aims: Developing safe and efficient nano vectors is critical for the success of siRNA therapy. Materials & methods: By encapsulating red fluorescent protein (RFP) with chitosan (CS), a dual-functional siRNA delivery nano vector, RFP@CS, has been synthesized. Results: RFP@CS has an optimum size of 7–23 nm for siRNA delivery; and the fluorescence of RFP, protected by CS coating, provides an excellent probe to track the delivery of siRNA. RFP@CS delivers siRNA efficiently into cells and the targeted gene could be completely silenced even after 48 h. No cytotoxicity or acute toxicity in mice was observed. Conclusion: The high transfection efficacy and safety demonstrate RFP@CS is a promising nano vector for the gene therapy.

Keywords::

• chitosan
• drug delivery
• imaging
• red fluorescent protein
• siRNA

Acknowledgements

The authors thank Professor Zhuang Liu at Soochow University for his kind assistance on the animal imaging experiments.

Financial & competing interests disclosure

This work was supported by the National Basic Research Program of China (973 program no. 2011CB933402) and the China Natural Science Foundation (no. 21371117). The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.

No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.

Ethical conduct of research

The authors state that they have obtained appropriate institutional review board approval or have followed the principles outlined in the Declaration of Helsinki for all human or animal experimental investigations. In addition, for investigations involving human subjects, informed consent has been obtained from the participants involved.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the National Basic Research Program of China (973 program no. 2011CB933402) and the China Natural Science Foundation (no. 21371117). The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed. No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.