Retinoic Acid-Oligomeric Chitosan Micelles as Novel Gene Delivery Carrier; in Vitro Transfection Study

Amphiphilic cationic micelles have recently attracted much attention as non-viral vector. In the current study the retinoic acid-g-chitosan (RA-chitosan) micelles have been used as novel gene carriers. Uptake of micelles, condensation ability and transfection efficiency of micelle–DNA complexes (miceplexes) in the presence or absence of serum had been investigated on Hela and HepG2 cell lines. Uptake of micelles in Hela cells was faster and more effective than HepG2. After 1.5 hours, micelles were up-taken by Hela cells while no uptake was observed in HepG2 cells. Miceplexes showed lower transfection efficiency in both Hela and HepG2 cells grown in the serum free medium than chitosan polyplexes, with 7.25 × 10⁵ versus 1.47 × 10⁵ RLU.mg^-1 and 7.76 × 10⁵ versus 2.16 × 10⁵ RLU.mg^-1, respectively. Lower transfection efficiency of miceplexes could be attributed to their stronger complexation. Transfection in the presence of serum increased in both of the cell lines. These properties all together, make RA-chitosan micelles a potential gene carrier for active gene delivery into cells, particularly for transfection in the presence of serum.