Small interfering-RNAs (siRNA) show significant potential to down-regulate specific abnormal gene expression in cancerous or viral-infected cells. We have developed effective conjugation strategies to combine biomolecules to the surface of AuNPs with specific functions, such as cell penetrating peptides to overcome the cellular membrane barrier, quaternary ammonium to introduce stable positively charges on the AuNPs' surface and siRNA complementary to a key cell-cycle regulator gene, the proto-oncogene c-Myc. Two approaches were designed for the binding of all these molecules to the nanoparticles: i) the use of a thiolated siRNA for covalently bind to the AuNPs' surface; and ii) ionic interactions generating positive charge on the nanoparticles. The resulting nanoparticles were characterized on their chemical functionalization, ease of cell uptake, cellular toxicity and knockdown of c-Myc expression in a cancer cell line, Hydra and C57BL/6j mice. Results confirmed their high efficiency for the specific silencing of c-Myc expression.

Multifunctional gold nanoparticles for gene silencing

243rd National Meeting (2012)

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