OhioMod2013:Introduction

Home        Introduction        Design        Methods        Results        Team        Internal       

Background

DNA origamiis a relatively recent technique first described in 2003 as a method of folding DNA into complex structures [1]. Since then there has been an effort to find practical applications for DNA origami, many of which involve targeted in vivo delivery of drug payloads [2], antigens [3], and siRNA [4]. We believe however, that the strongest potential is for delivery of the DNA itself by incorporating the gene vector into the origami for cellular uptake.

The viral method is the currently the most efficient at transfecting mammalian cells due to the intrinsic ability of the viral vector. However because of the immunogenic properties of the viral vehicle and its high production costs, artificial non-viral methods are being investigated. Inorganic nanoparticles are especially tantalizing due to their synthetic production, durable storage, and resistance to premature degradation or digestion. The most common types of nanoparticles include cationic polymers, liposomes, gold clusters, and calcium phosphate particles. Two successful commercial agents are Polyfect® (dendritic polymer) and Lipofectamine® (liposome).

We first set out to develop a method of transfecting cells by a novel approach of encapsulating DNA origami with calcium phosphate to form biocompatible nanoparticles. This was a combinatorial process,

Fig. 1 This is a placeholder

Our Focus

To do this and that. See our Methods for more.

Our Goals

1. Goal
2. Goal
3. Goal
4. Gooooaal!

1. Rothemund PW. Folding DNA to create nanoscale shapes and patterns. Nature. 2006 Mar 16;440(7082):297-302. DOI:10.1038/nature04586 |
2. Douglas SM, Bachelet I, and Church GM. A logic-gated nanorobot for targeted transport of molecular payloads. Science. 2012 Feb 17;335(6070):831-4. DOI:10.1126/science.1214081 |
3. Schüller VJ, Heidegger S, Sandholzer N, Nickels PC, Suhartha NA, Endres S, Bourquin C, and Liedl T. Cellular immunostimulation by CpG-sequence-coated DNA origami structures. ACS Nano. 2011 Dec 27;5(12):9696-702. DOI:10.1021/nn203161y |
4. Lee H, Lytton-Jean AK, Chen Y, Love KT, Park AI, Karagiannis ED, Sehgal A, Querbes W, Zurenko CS, Jayaraman M, Peng CG, Charisse K, Borodovsky A, Manoharan M, Donahoe JS, Truelove J, Nahrendorf M, Langer R, and Anderson DG. Molecularly self-assembled nucleic acid nanoparticles for targeted in vivo siRNA delivery. Nat Nanotechnol. 2012 Jun 3;7(6):389-93. DOI:10.1038/nnano.2012.73 |

• Paul M Gruenbacher 12:42, 14 April 2013 (EDT):