Preliminary Studies On Preparation And Application Of Chitosan Nanoparticles As The Nonviral Gene Delivery Vehicle

Numerous studies have reported the prophylactic and therapeutic effect of plasmid vaccines on combating a variety of infectious diseases in animal models. However, gene immunization and gene therapy still face significant hurdles and challenges for clinical applications, largely because of the lack of effective approaches for gene delivery. Most clinical gene therapy trials are based on viral vector delivery systems. There are, however, many problems to be addressed, one of which is safety. Non-viral delivery systems have been increasingly proposed as safer alternatives to viral vectors. The continued investigation into non-viral vectors for gene delivery into mammalian cells remains an important area of research. Cationic polymers have been shown to be more promising gene carriers among non-viral gene delivery systems.Chitosan is a positively charged natural biodegradable and biocompatible polysaccharide comprised of primarily D-glucosamine repeating units. In recent years, interest in the use of chitosan in the medical field, especially in biomedical and pharmaceutical applications, has been increasing. The key for this widespread interest in the utilization of chitosan is safety. There are numerous reports highlighting the low toxicity and biocompatibility of chitosan. Chitosan has been found to efficiently condense negatively charged plasmid DNA into cationic particles. The interaction involved in the complex formation was mainly electrostatic and steady forces. The cationic particles can transfect several different cell types in vitro and in vivo by interacting with the cell's negatively charged surface.The objective of this work was to investigate the physical/chemical properties of...