Team:REC-CHENNAI
Transfection is an established technique to transiently modulate gene expression in eukaryotic cells. Liposome-mediated transfection increases cellular endosomal turnover and stimulates carrier induced autophagy. Transfection efficiency of commercially available liposomal reagents is frequently associated with cellular toxicity in a dose-dependent manner. These complications, in addition to its high cost, augment the unmet need for a cost-effective and less-toxic transfection reagent. Cell-Penetrating Peptides (CPPs) are short (<30 amino acids) linear peptides that facilitate the cellular uptake of diverse macromolecules. The broad range of their cellular targets and their limited toxicity qualify them as ideal carriers for cargo delivery. Our current project involves the novel application of a synthetic CPP for the direct delivery of interfering RNA in the context of transient gene silencing. The selected CPP delivers the un-bound cargo through pore formation and gets selectively targeted for proteasomal degradation, thus averting the possibilities of carrier induced autophagy and cytotoxicity.
