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Characterization of Zwitterionic Phosphatidylcholine-Based Bilayer Vesicles as Efficient Self-Assembled Virus-Like Gene Carriers

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Abstract

Entrapment of plasmid DNA (pDNA) in an aqueous compartment separated from the bulk external aqueous medium by a phospholipid bilayer resembles a structure similar to a primitive living cell, and interestingly, this phenomenon occurs completely self-assembled. Being inspired by such a structure as well as using the dehydration–rehydration technique, we were able to encapsulate pDNA without using multivalent cations and with high efficiency (98 %) into noncationic lipid bilayer vesicles. These liposomes which were composed of dimyristoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine unlike cationic liposomes, were nontoxic. The obtained liposome structure was able protect DNA against nuclease and was completely stable, in a way that even after 6 months, it still kept the pDNA in its structure, and there was a small change in its size (100–150 nm) determined by dynamic light scattering. The purpose of this research is to polarize the researchers’ interest toward utilization of neutral liposomes originating from the cell membrane as the most efficient carrier for gene delivery. We indicated that in using such carriers, which are the most similar synthetic structures to viruses, their inability in electrostatic interaction with DNA would not be an obstacle for entrapping nucleic acids.

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Acknowledgments

The authors would like to express their gratefulness to the Research Council of Tarbiat Modares University for providing financial support for this study.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Nanobiotechnology, School of Biological Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran

    Reihaneh Ramezani, Majid Sadeghizadeh, Mehrdad Behmanesh & Saman Hosseinkhani

  2. Department of Genetics, School of Biological Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, P.O. Box 14115-175, Tehran, Iran

    Majid Sadeghizadeh & Mehrdad Behmanesh

  3. Department of Biochemistry, School of Biological Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran

    Saman Hosseinkhani

Authors
  1. Reihaneh Ramezani
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  2. Majid Sadeghizadeh
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  4. Saman Hosseinkhani
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Correspondence to Majid Sadeghizadeh.

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Ramezani, R., Sadeghizadeh, M., Behmanesh, M. et al. Characterization of Zwitterionic Phosphatidylcholine-Based Bilayer Vesicles as Efficient Self-Assembled Virus-Like Gene Carriers. Mol Biotechnol 55, 120–130 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12033-013-9663-7

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