Reversible, Covalent DNA Condensation Approach Using Chemical Linkers for Enhanced Gene Delivery.

Abstract

Nonviral gene delivery has emerged as a promising technology for gene therapy. Nonetheless, these approaches often face challenges, primarily associated with lower efficiency, which can be attributed to the inefficient transportation of DNA into the nucleus. Here, we report a two-stage condensation approach to achieve efficient nuclear transport of DNA. First, we utilize chemical linkers to cross-link DNA plasmids via a reversible covalent bond to form smaller-sized bundled DNA (b-DNA). Then, we package the b-DNA into cationic vectors to further condense b-DNA and enable efficient gene delivery to the nucleus. We demonstrate clear improvements in the gene transfection efficiency <i>in vitro</i>, including with 11.6 kbp plasmids and in primary cultured neurons. Moreover, we also observed a remarkable improvement in lung-selective gene transfection efficiency <i>in vivo</i> by this two-stage condensation approach following intravenous administration. This reversible covalent assembly strategy demonstrates substantial value of nonviral gene delivery for clinical therapeutic applications.