COLL 298 |
| Jin-Oh You, Yu-Chuan Liu, and Ching-An Peng. Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Southern California, 925 Bloom Walk, HED 216, Los Angeles, CA 90089-1211 |
| Natural biopolymers such as alginate and chitosan are widely used in medical applications such as drug and gene delivery systems. In this study, nanoparticles of alginate and chitosan were prepared using water-in-oil microemulsion templates and crosslinking agents (e.g., calcium and glutaraldehyde). The size of these polysaccharide-based colloids was varied with molecular weight and concentration of biopolymer, ratio of water/oil/surfactant, and amount of crosslinking agent. A series of low-MW alginates and chitosans prepared by various degradation agents (sodium nitrite, hydrogen peroxide, and hydrochloric acid) were used to define w/o microemulsion regions using AOT as the surfactant. After adding crosslinking agents to the reverse microemulsion templates (calcium chloride for alginate and glutaraldehyde for chitsoan), submicron colloids were formed and then collected by ultracentrifuge. These nanoparticles were evaluated by electron microscope and AFM to investigate the sizem morphology and surface roughness. To examine the efficacy of these nanoparticles in carrying genes for therapeutic use, DNA plasmid encoded with eGFP gene was encapsulated in these nanoparticles to investigate the degree of endocytosis by NIH 3T3 cells and the ensuing transfection rate. Our results showed that these nanoparticles are very efficient gene carriers in comparison with cation polymer based polyplexes. |
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Bio-Colloids
8:30 AM-10:30 AM, Tuesday, March 30, 2004 Marriott -- Orange County 3, Oral
Division of Colloid and Surface Chemistry |