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Prediction and optimization of gene transfection and drug delivery by electroporation

Gene Therapy volume 8, pages 1464–1469 (2001)Cite this article

Abstract

Although electroporation is widely used for laboratory gene transfection and gaining increased importance for nonviral gene therapy, it is generally employed using trial-and-error optimization schemes for lack of methods to predict electroporation's effects on cells. Therefore, we used a statistical approach to quantitatively predict molecular uptake and cell viability following electroporation and show that it predicts both in vitro and in vivo results for a wide range of molecules, including DNA, in 60 different cell types. Mechanistically, this broad predictive ability suggests that electroporation is mediated primarily by lipid bilayer structure and only secondarily by cell-specific characteristics. For gene therapy applications, this approach should facilitate rational design of electroporation protocols. Gene Therapy (2001) 8, 1464–1469.

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Acknowledgements

We would like to thank Dr Russell Heikes for help with statistical analysis and Derek Atkinson and Conor McKenna for technical assistance. This work was supported in part by a National Science Foundation CAREER award, the Emory/Georgia Tech Biomedical Technology Research Center, Cyto Pulse Sciences, Inc. and the Dow Minority Research Program.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Chemical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, 778 Atlantic Drive, Atlanta, 30332–0100, GA, USA

    PJ Canatella & MR Prausnitz

  2. School of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, 778 Atlantic Drive, Atlanta, 30332–0100, GA, USA

    MR Prausnitz

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  1. PJ Canatella
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  2. MR Prausnitz
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Canatella, P., Prausnitz, M. Prediction and optimization of gene transfection and drug delivery by electroporation. Gene Ther 8, 1464–1469 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.gt.3301547

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