Efficient gene transfer into rat mesenchymal stem cells with cationized Lycium barbarum polysaccharides nanoparticles

A new gene vector, cationized Lycium barbarum polysaccharides (cLBP) nanoparticles, prepared with different amine compounds for non-viral delivery of plasmid DNA encoding for transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGFβ-1) was developed and the efficiency of these nanoparticles to transfect rat mesenchymal stem cells in vitro was determined. The spherical cLBP-plasmid TGFβ-1 nanoparticles were 160–330 nm in diameter and can retard the migration of plasmid TGFβ-1 in electrophoresis. Ethylenediamine-LBP nanoparticles manifested better transfection efficiency compared with spermine-LBP and polyethylenimine-LBP nanostructures. At McLBP/MpTGFβ-1 ratio 80, maximum TGFβ-1 expression mediated by Ethylenediamine-LBP was much higher than both PEI (p < 0.001) and Lipofectamine™2000 (p < 0.001) in serum or serum-free media, and the cellular uptake with live cell imaging was in good agreement with the gene transducing effect. Transfected cells were of outstanding cell viability, indicating the low cytotoxicity of cLBP. The results suggested cLBP could be a promising carrier for gene delivery.