Synthesis of pegilated and tetrazolo-functionalized mesoporous SiO2/APTES nano particles as a novel nanocarrier for gene delivery application

Gene therapy, as a promising therapeutics to treat genetic or acquired diseases, has achieved exciting development in the past two decades. In the main objective in genetherapy is successful in vivo transfer of the genetic materials to the targeted tissues. However, naked therapeutic genes are rapidly degraded by nucleases and show poor cellular uptake, so that the development of safe and efficient gene carriers is one of the prerequisites for the success of gene therapy. Non-viral vectors, such as cationic lipids and polymers, have been developed as gene carrier molecules[1]. The usage of theses nano carriers offer substantial advantages including the prevention of degradation, possibility of delivering high concentrations of gene into tumor tissues, specific targeting, and controlled release[2]. In this regard, the synthesis of a novel nanocarrier based on mesoporous nano silica was reported herein (Fig 1). At the first, SiO2 nanopartciles were synthesized and then composite by 3-aminopropyl triethoxysilane. The synthesized silica composite was functionalized using glutaraldehyde and 5-aminotetrazole. At the end, the synthesized nanocarrier was stabilized using PEG. The synthesized nanocarrier has shown high application in gene transfection and protection.