Study of the incorporation of nucleic acids in chitosan-coated polystyrene nanoparticles for use as DNA carrier system

Abstract

Nanotechnology is a multidisciplinary scientific field based on the development, characterization, production and application of structures, devices and systems with shape and size at the nanoscale. Polymeric systems with therapeutic purpose have been widely used since they allow a slow and gradual release of drug and allow the transport of drugs to their specific place of action. In recent years, nanoparticles have been used for DNA loading. The introduction of exogenous DNA into a cell may be applicable to fields of gene therapy, DNA vaccines and diagnosis. The development of nucleic acid loading nanoparticles, with a well characterized activity, would be very important. For this project, cationic polystyrene nanoparticles coated with chitosan was studied for a DNA carrier system. The propose is an elaboration of a dilution gradient that allows to know the pattern of incorporation of nucleic acids in the nanoparticles, permitting the development of a mathematical model that characterizes the incorporation in the different conditions studied, allowing their use in future projects. Through this, it´s found the potential of DNA saturation by this nanoparticle system, as in 29% of the incorporation mass, which reveals the capacity of DNA incorporation.