Manuscript submitted to 250th ACS National Meeting & Exposition, August 16-20,
2015, Boston, MA, USA
Gene delivery by polyethylenimine-functionalized
graphene oxide suppresses breast cancer cell migration
Yuan-Pin Huang,1 Wan-Rou Wang,2 Cai-Yan Zhong,2 and Mon-Juan Lee2,*
1
Department of Cosmetics and Fashion Styling, Cheng Shiu University, Kaohsiung,
Taiwan
2
Department of Bioscience Technology, Chang Jung Christian University, Tainan,
Taiwan
* To whom correspondence should be addressed: mjlee@mail.cjcu.edu.tw
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Huang et al.: Division of Colloid and Surface Chemistry
2
Abstract
The carbon-based nanomaterial graphene can be chemically modified to associate with
various molecules such as chemicals and biomolecules, and developed as novel carriers
for drug and gene delivery. In this study, a nonviral gene transfection reagent was
produced by functionalizing graphene oxide (GO) with a polycationic polymer,
polyethylenimine (PEI), to increase the biocompatibility of GO and to interact
electrostatically with the negatively charged phosphate groups in nucleic acids.
PEI-functionalized GO (PEI-GO) was a homogeneous aqueous solution that remained
in suspension during storage at 4°C for at least 2 months. The weight percentage of
grafted PEI and particle size of PEI-GO were characterized by thermogravimetric
analysis (TGA) and dynamic light scattering, while binding affinity of PEI-GO toward
small interfering RNA (siRNA) was assessed by electrophoretic mobility shift assay
(EMSA). With the GO-based gene carrier, we transfected the invasive breast cancer cell
line, MDA-MB-231 cells with siRNAs against C-X-C chemokine receptor type 4
(CXCR4), a biomarker for cancer metastasis. Suppression of the mRNA and protein
expression of CXCR4 by siRNA was confirmed by real-time PCR and western blot
analysis. Transfection efficiency of PEI-GO was comparable to that of a common
transfection reagent, Lipofectamine 2000. Through migration and invasion assays, we
demonstrated that the metastatic potential of MDA-MB-231 cells was suppressed by
siRNAs against CXCR4 (siCXCR4) delivered by PEI-GO. Our results suggest that
PEI-GO is a potentially efficient, nonviral transfection reagent that may contribute to
cancer therapy.
Keywords:
Graphene oxide (GO), polyethylenimine (PEI), small interfering RNA
(siRNA), C-X-C chemokine receptor type 4 (CXCR4), gene delivery
Related publication
Huang, Y. P., I. J. Lin, C. C. Chen, Y. C. Hsu, C. C. Chang and M. J. Lee.* 2013.
Delivery of
small
interfering RNAs
in
human
cervical
cancer
cells
polyethylenimine-functionalized carbon nanotubes. Nanoscale Res. Lett. 8:267.
by