439c Gene and Drug Delivery to Mammalian Cells through Membrane Sandwiched Electroporation

Zhengzheng Fei1, Yubing Xie2, Shengnian Wang1, Chee Guan Koh1, Brian E. Henslee1, L. James Lee1, Yihua Loo3, and Kam W. Leong3. (1) Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, The Ohio State University, 140 West 19th Avenue, Columbus, OH 43210, (2) NSEC Center for Affordable Nanoengineering of Polymer Biomedical Devices, The Ohio State University, 1381 Kinnear Road, Suite 100, Columbus, OH 43212, (3) Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, 720 Rutland Avenue / Ross 720, Baltimore, MD 21218

It is challenge to deliver genes and high molecular weight drugs into mammalian cells. Viruses and liposome nanoparticles have been widely used as in vivo carriers. However, issues such as safety and low efficiency have limited their clinic applications. Physical methods such as micro-injection, gene gun, and electroporation can be used for either in vivo and/or ex vivo gene delivery. They are, however, very invasive and often provide limited efficiency. A novel device containing micro/nanoscale flow channels has been developed in our laboratory. When a programmed electric field is applied, the channels provide a focused electric field, which can realize local cell electroporation, enhance electrophoretic mobility, and provide better gene/drug confinement near the cell surface to facilitate genes or drugs transport into the cells. Using GFP and SeAP plasmid DNAs and Dextran as model materials, our results showed that this device can significantly improve drug delivery and gene expression with minimum cell damage at cell or tissue levels.