MAGNETIC NANOPARTICLE MEDIATED GENE DELIVERY IN OLIGODENDROGLIAL CELLS: A COMPARISON OF DIFFERENTIATED CELLS VERSUS PRECURSOR FORMS

Abstract

Magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) have emerged as a major platform for the formulation of magnetic vectors for nonviral gene delivery. Notably the application of "magnetofection" strategies (use of magnetic fields to increase MNP–cell interactions) can significantly enhance MNP mediated gene transfer. Despite the potential of this approach, the use of MNPs and magnetofection for gene delivery to oligodendrocytes (the cells that make and maintain myelin, the insulating sheath around nerve fibers in the central nervous system) has never been tested. Here, we prove the feasibility of using MNPs in conjunction with applied static or oscillating gradient magnetic fields (the "magnetofection" method) to deliver genes to oligodendrocytes; all applied magnetic field conditions resulted in greater transfection than the no field condition but overall transfection levels obtained were typically low (ca. < 6%). Oligodendrocyte transfection levels under all magnetic field conditions were less than a third compared with their parent cell population, the oligodendrocyte precursor cells. Our results demonstrate for the first time that, within cells of a specific neural lineage, the amenability to transfection is dependent on the differentiation status of the cell.