Intracellular delivery of recombinant proteins via gold nanoparticle-DNA aptamer composites is independent of the protein physicochemical properties and cell type

Abstract

Here, we report that the gold nanoparticle-DNA aptamer (AuNP-Apt) conjugate-based system can efficiently deliver recombinant proteins into mammalian cells in a manner independent of their size, isoelectric point, and cellular localization. Additionally, AuNP-Apt system-assisted protein delivery can be effective on primary and stem cells, indicating that its use is not limited to fast-dividing cells. We further show that the intravenously administered AuNP-Apt system can deliver proteins into rat organs. Our findings show that this system can serve as a simple, efficient, and versatile platform for the delivery of recombinant proteins into mammalian living systems. (C) 2016 The Korean Society of Industrial and Engineering Chemistry. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.