Figure 5: Nanoparticle-based strategy to deliver miR-96 and miR-182.
From: Local microRNA delivery targets Palladin and prevents metastatic breast cancer
(a) Dextran-dendrimer hydrogels embedded with targeted nanoparticles. Targeted miR nanoparticles consist of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs, ≈40 nm diameter) functionalized with thiolated-PEG-COOH conjugated to 4T1-targeting peptide (CREKA) labelled with FITC, thiolated miRs and cisplatin intercalated on the miR strands. (b) High-resolution TEM images of the gold nanoparticles. Scale bar, 50 nm. (c) High-resolution SEM images of the dextran–dendrimer hydrogel scaffolds. Scale bar, 100 μm. (d) Confocal microscopy and (e,f) flow cytometry of the cellular uptake in 4T1 cells of miRNA-nanoparticles functionalized with the CREKA peptide in comparison with a jumbled peptide. Nanoparticles in green (FITC) and mCherry-expressing 4T1 cells (in red). Nuclei (in blue) were stained with DAPI. Scale bars, 25 μm. (g) Wound healing assay performed in 4T1 cell lines using the gold NP carriers for miR-96, miR-182 or Ctrl miR at 0, 12 and 24 h after incubation. Nanoparticles in green (FITC) and mCherry-expressing 4T1cells (in red). Scale bars, 150 μm.
