PubMed HealthSearch

SEARCH · PubMed Health

Results for “Transfection”

Explore indexed PubMed citations for clinical trials, systematic reviews and public health research. Read source abstracts and follow each citation to its original PubMed record.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Impact of transfection optimization on adeno-associated virus purification performance and vector quality.

Recombinant adeno-associated virus (rAAV) has shown great promise as a viral vector for gene therapy. However, efficient manufacture of high-quality rAAV to meet clinical demands remains challenging. Here, we optimized rAAV production via a design of experiments (DoE) approach to evaluate the effects of five transfection parameters on vector genome titer, full particle ratio (FE ratio), and viral protein (VP) stoichiometry. The DoE model showed that no single set of transfection conditions could maximize all three responses simultaneously. Subsequently, the materials from DoE-optimized transfections were purified by affinity chromatography followed by anion exchange chromatography (AEX). We observed that AEX recovery declined when capsid loading was high, a situation caused by the combination of high titer with low FE ratio, reducing some of the gains in titer achieved by transfection optimization. Furthermore, AEX had limited capacity to enrich full particles from materials with a very low initial FE ratio. Finally, materials from DoE-optimized transfections showed improved transduction efficiency, which was associated with the ratios of VP1 and VP2 to total VP in the capsid. Overall, this study demonstrates that transfection-derived quality attributes affect purification outcomes and overall vector quality. Our findings highlight the necessity of strategically balancing multiple quality attributes during transfection optimization and provide insights for integrated upstream transfection and downstream purification development.

Adeno-associated virus

Development of a highly efficient protoplast regeneration and transfection protocol for enhancing CRISPR genome editing of Brassica carinata.

Brassica carinata is an important oil crop with significant potential for food and industrial production. The application of the CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing tool in B. carinata could accelerate its breeding cycle. However, no efficient DNA-free gene editing method currently exists for this species. Protoplast-based CRISPR editing presents a promising solution, though it is often challenging for many crop species. In this study, we investigated several critical factors influencing in vitro shoot regeneration, including genotype, sugar type, selection and combination of plant growth regulators (PGRs), and culture duration on different media throughout various stages of protoplast development. As a result, we developed a highly efficient, five-stage protoplast regeneration protocol for B. carinata based on specific stages of protoplast development. Key findings of this study include the requirement for high concentrations of NAA and 2,4-D in the initial medium (MI) for cell wall formation, while a lower auxin concentration relative to cytokinin was necessary for active cell division (MII). For callus growth and shoot induction, a high cytokinin-to-auxin ratio was essential (MIII), and an even higher cytokinin-to-auxin ratio was optimal for shoot regeneration (MIV). For shoot elongation, low levels of BAP and GA3 were sufficient (MV). Our results also demonstrated that the duration of culture on different media and maintaining appropriate osmotic pressure at the early stages were crucial for successful protoplast regeneration. With this optimized protocol, we achieved an average regeneration frequency of up to 64% and a transfection efficiency of 40% using the GFP marker gene. This efficient protoplast regeneration protocol is now being employed for genome editing in our lab and is expected to significantly enhance the application of the CRISPR system in both basic research and the genetic improvement of B. carinata over the long term.

Brassica carinata

Harnessing Id1 as a biomarker in a plasmid reporter system for cervical cancer.

Stagnancy of ten-year cervical cancer (CC) incidence in the U.S., despite screening advancements, suggests the need for new CC screening technologies. This study in preclinical CC models evaluated a diagnostic plasmid that induces expression of a reporter (secreted embryonic alkaline phosphatase, SEAP) through the control of cancer-specific promoter sequence (inhibitor of differentiation 1, Id1). The plasmid (pId1-SEAP) was used to transfect CC cells in vitro and characterize SEAP production based on Id1 expression. Western Blot and immunohistochemistry were used to establish Id1 expression in cell models and human tissues. Timed transfections in various conditions were used to correlate Id1 and SEAP expression. CC cell lines expressed increased normalized baseline Id1 (HeLa 3.0&#x2009;&#xb1;&#x2009;0.13, SiHa 2.9&#x2009;&#xb1;&#x2009;0.27, both P&#x2009;<&#x2009;0.0001) compared to non-cancer 3T3 fibroblasts (1.0&#x2009;&#xb1;&#x2009;0.0). Normal cervical tissues had a mean Id1 staining value of 3E4&#x2009;&#xb1;&#x2009;3E4, while early- and late-stage CC tissues had increased mean Id1 staining (3E5&#x2009;&#xb1;&#x2009;1E5 P&#x2009;<&#x2009;0.0001 and 2E5&#x2009;&#xb1;&#x2009;1E5 P&#x2009;=&#x2009;0.0002, respectively). HeLa and SiHa lines produced increased normalized SEAP (0.63&#x2009;&#xb1;&#x2009;0.25 and 0.50&#x2009;&#xb1;&#x2009;0.10, P&#x2009;<&#x2009;0.05) compared to 3T3 cells, both with pId1-SEAP (0.16&#x2009;&#xb1;&#x2009;0.058). As few as 12,500 pId1-SEAP transfected HeLa cells resulted in increased SEAP (3E4&#x2009;&#xb1;&#x2009;3E3 P&#x2009;=&#x2009;0.004) compared to background (1E4&#x2009;&#xb1;&#x2009;4E2). SiHa xenograft ex vivo tumor transfected with 25&#xa0;&#xb5;g/&#xb5;L pId1-SEAP produced significantly greater SEAP (21.7&#x2009;&#xb1;&#x2009;8.6, P&#x2009;=&#x2009;0.0003) relative to muscle transfected in the same conditions (0.94&#x2009;&#xb1;&#x2009;0.24). pId1-SEAP can transfect CC cells to produce SEAP proportionally to endogenous Id1 expression, demonstrating its potential for additional studies in CC models.

Female

Gene overexpression reduces inhibitory metabolites to enhance CHO cell growth and IgG1 production.

Controlling the generation of toxic by-products in mammalian bioprocess to maximize therapeutic protein production and glycosylation patterns is a challenge. Intracellular metabolism is often not well-regulated and known to secrete toxic intermediate by-products which hampers cellular performance and negatively impacts critical quality attributes (CQA) of cells. Previous studies have identified trigonelline (TRI), n-acetyl putrescine (NAP), aconitic acid (AA), and cytidine monophosphate (CMP) generated through CHO cell metabolism and verified their negative impacts on growth and antibody production. In this approach, a genetic engineering strategy was developed to control downstream accumulation of inhibitory metabolites. The study successfully identified four different metabolic genes in CHO cells, including Cat (nicotinate and nicotinamide metabolism) to control the generation of TRI, Got1 and Hoga1 (proline metabolism) to control the generation of NAP, Got1 (TCA cycle) to control the generation of AA, and Slc35a1 (n-glycan biosynthesis) to control the generation of CMP. Each target gene-of-interest (GOI) was cloned from CHO genomic library, inserted into linearized vector plasmid, and subsequently transfected into cells. CQA of the bioprocess realized 22-30% increase in peak cell density, 16-22% increase overall IVCD, with an improving growth rate during cellular expansion phase when comparing engineered cells against control cells. The study also conducted a follow-up quadruple transfection study where all four GOIs were co-transfected into cells at &#xbc; of the total DNA concentration per GOI. An increase in cellular performance was also realized, as increases in peak VCD (17% increase), cumulative IVCD (17% increase), and growth rate were achieved. Both studies also found higher IgG1 antibody synthesis when cell metabolism was better regulated, as the studies measured 4% to 40% titer increase across all engineered cells when compared against control cells. The study also measured higher levels of G1F and G2F glycans with decreased level of G0F across all transfected cells, further indicating improvement in bioprocess, as cells were able to produce a higher fraction of semi-complex and complex versus simple glycoforms. Further investigation revealed that Cat and Slc35a1 exhibited comparable expression levels in the MG condition to their single-gene conditions (within 1% and 10% difference, respectively), corresponding to modest titer improvements closest to the control. These findings suggest that when all four genes are co-expressed, Cat and Got1 may act as rate-limiting factors influencing both cellular phenotypes and titer production. In both studies, the concentrations of downstream metabolic inhibitors were measured to be significantly decreased when comparing engineered cells against control cells, further demonstrating that overexpression of genes to re-allocate metabolic fluxes away from synthesizing toxic by-products can significantly improve cellular growth and protein synthesis.

Animals

A versatile adeno-associated virus vector producer cell line method for scalable vector production of different serotypes.

Application of adeno-associated virus (AAV) vector in large animal studies and clinical trials often requires high-titer and high-potency vectors. A number of currently used vector production methods, based on either transient transfection or helper virus infection of cell lines, have their advantages and limitations. We previously developed a 293-cell-based producer cell line method for high-titer and high-potency AAV2 vectors. Similar to several other methods, however, it requires multiple cloning steps for the vector and packaging plasmids and a two-step transfection and selection for stable cell lines. Here we report a simplified method with several key improvements and advantages: (1) a one-step cloning of AAV vector cassette into the serotype-specific packaging plasmid; (2) a single plasmid transfection and selection for stable AAV vector producer cell lines; (3) high vector yields of different serotypes, e.g., AAV2, 8, and 9, upon infection with an E1A/E1B-deleted helper adenovirus; (4) efficient packaging of both single-stranded and double-stranded (self-complementary) AAV vectors; and (5) efficient packaging of large AAV cassettes such as a mini-dystrophin vector (5.0&#x2009;kb). All cell lines were stable with growth rates identical to the parental 293 cells. The vector yields were consistent among serotypes, with 5&#x2009;&#xd7;&#x2009;10(13) to 8&#x2009;&#xd7;&#x2009;10(13) vector genome particles per Nunc cell factory (equivalent to 40 15-cm plates). The vectors showed high potency for in vitro and in vivo transduction. In conclusion, the simple and versatile AAV producer cell line method can be useful for large scale AAV vector production in preclinical and clinical studies.

Biotechnology

MicroRNA-122 overexpression suppresses the colon cancer cell proliferation by downregulating the astrocyte elevated gene-1/metadherin oncoprotein.

BACKGROUND: MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small non-coding RNAs that regulate essential cellular functions, such as cell adhesion, proliferation, migration, invasion, and programmed cell death, and therefore, alterations in miRNAs can contribute to carcinogenesis. Previous studies have shown that miRNA-122 is abundant in the liver and regulates cell proliferation, migration, and apoptosis. However, the expression pattern and mechanism of actions of miR-122 remain primarily unknown in colon cancer. METHODS: In this study, we analyzed The Cancer Genome Atlas Colon Adenocarcinoma (TCGA-COAD) database to assess the clinical significance of astrocyte elevated gene-1 (AEG-1)/metadherin (MTDH) and miR-122 in colon cancer. MiR-122 overexpression studies were performed in HCT116, SW480, and SW620 cell lines. Dual-luciferase assay was carried out to confirm the interaction between AEG-1 and miR-122. In vivo-JetPEI-transfection reagent was used for in-vivo transient transfection of miR-122 in the AOM/DSS-induced colon tumor mouse model. RESULTS: Our results demonstrate that miR-122 was downregulated in colon cancer cells, and it influences the expressions of apoptotic factors and inflammatory cytokines. MiR-122 overexpression in HCT116, SW480, and SW620 cells showed upregulation of Caspase 3, Caspase 9, and BAX and decreased expression of BCL2, which are pro-apoptotic and anti-apoptotic members that maintain a ratio between cellular survival and cell death. In vivo transient transfection of miR-122 mimic in AOM/DSS induced colon tumor mouse model showed less inflammation and disease activity. The TCGA-COAD data indicated that AEG-1 expression was higher in patients with low expression of miR-122 and lower AEG-1 expression in patients with higher expression miR-122. CONCLUSION: Our findings highlight the key role of miR-122 in the high grade of colonic inflammation, and possibly in colon cancer, and the use of miR-122 mimic might be a therapeutic option.

MicroRNAs

Construction and Isolation of Recombinant Vaccinia Virus by Homologous Recombination Using Fluorescent Protein Markers.

Genetic modification of vaccinia virus (VACV) is a fundamental and valuable research technique in elucidating the function of VACV genes, as well as the development as vaccine vectors for other infectious diseases, oncolytic therapeutics for cancers, and protein expression systems in mammalian cells. Because of the large size of poxvirus genome and noninfectious feature of the naked viral DNA, construction of recombinant VACV relies on intracellular homologous recombination between transfected DNA and replicating viral DNA in infected cells occurred in VACV infected cells. The efficiency of homologous recombination event for vaccinia virus is relatively low, and recombinant viruses only account for 0.1% of progeny viruses. Therefore, fluorescent protein markers are often included in the transfected DNA to facilitate the selection and screening of recombined viruses. Here we provide a detailed procedure for the design, generation, isolation, and detection of recombinant VACV by homologous recombination using fluorescent protein markers.

Vaccinia virus

Luciferase-Based Reporter Assay for the Assessment of Aurora A-Kinase Activity in Mitotic Cycle.

Luciferase-based reporter assay is an important tool that employs bioluminescence to quickly and precisely investigate the gene of interest's promoter activity by reporter gene expression at the transcriptional level. The promoter of the gene of interest is fused with the reporter gene (a gene that produces luciferase enzymes) and then transfected into the cells. Luciferase is an enzyme that catalyzes a chemical reaction to produce light. The bioluminescence activity of the luciferase gene in the transfected cells is directly proportional to the expression of the gene of interest, which is measured by using a luminometer. In this chapter, we outline the use of a dual-reporter luciferase assay to measure Aurora A kinase activity during the mitotic cycle.

Genes, Reporter

Fluorescence-Based mRNA Translation Reporter.

Herein, we describe a fluorescence reporter assay for investigating regulatory elements in the 5'-UTR of mRNA that modulate translational initiation. The canonical translation initiation process generally begins with the assembly of the eIF4F complex at the cap structure, the formation of the ternary complex, which is loaded with the initiator tRNA, and finally, the preinitiation complex. The preinitiation complex then scans the 5'-UTR to identify the authentic translation start site, which is typically characterized by an AUG codon within a sequence context known as the Kozak sequence. It is well established that the 5'-UTR varies extensively in length and contains regulatory, structural, and sequence elements. To investigate these elements, we use a green fluorescence protein (GFP)- and a luciferase-based mRNA reporter. These reporters can be quickly generated by ordering gBlocks or by PCR-based template generation for in vitro transcription, capping and polyadenylation, to produce synthetic mRNAs. These mRNAs can be transfected into cells, and expression can be monitored via GFP fluorescence or by measuring luciferase activity. In this chapter, we provide a step-by-step protocol for designing gBlocks, generating the reporter mRNA, transfecting the cells, and analyzing the results.

Genes, Reporter

Production of Viral Particles from a Chikungunya Virus Infectious Clone.

Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) is a positive-sense single-stranded RNA virus, which poses challenges for its study and genetic manipulation. Because direct mutagenesis of viral RNA genomes is technically impractical, reverse genetics systems are essential tools for investigating viral biology. To enable such approaches, infectious clones containing a full-length cDNA copy of the viral genome are constructed. The cDNA is positioned under the control of a bacteriophage RNA polymerase promoter, allowing commercial RNA polymerases to use the linearized plasmid as a template for the in vitro transcription of full-length viral genomic RNA (gRNA). Importantly, positive-sense viral genomes serve as mRNAs for the translation of viral proteins in a cellular environment, meaning that these transcripts contain all the information required to initiate viral replication. Following transfection into permissive cultured cells, viral proteins are expressed, enabling genome replication and, ultimately, the recovery of infectious particles from the cell supernatant. Here, we describe a detailed procedure for generating CHIKV particles through plasmid linearization, in vitro transcription, and subsequent RNA transfection.

Chikungunya virus

PTC is a novel rearranged form of the ret proto-oncogene and is frequently detected in vivo in human thyroid papillary carcinomas.

We recently detected a novel activated oncogene by transfection analysis on NIH 3T3 cells in five out of 20 primary human thyroid papillary carcinomas and in the available lymph node metastases. We designated this transforming gene PTC (for papillary thyroid carcinoma). Here we describe the molecular cloning and sequencing of the gene. The new oncogene resulted from the rearrangement of an unknown amino-terminal sequence to the tyrosine kinase domain of the ret proto-oncogene. This gene rearrangement was detected in all of the transfectants and in all of the original tumor DNAs, but not in normal DNA of the same patients, thus indicating that this genetic lesion occurred in vivo and is specific to somatic tumors. Moreover, the transcript coded for by the fused gene was detected in an additional PTC-positive human papillary carcinoma for which mRNA was available.

Amino Acid Sequence

A multifaceted investigation into the impact of m6A methylation-related genes on pancreatic cancer, integrating insights from various databases and foundational experimental research.

BACKGROUND: Despite advances in surgical techniques, immunotherapy, the mortality rate associated with pancreatic cancer (PC) has been on the rise in recent years. Understanding the importance of RNA N6-methyladenosine (m6A) in PC is critical for prognosis, tumor microenvironment, and immunotherapy efficacy. The study aims to identify m6A methylation regulators that play an important role in the development and progression of PC by mining databases. The effect of insulin-like growth factor-binding protein 3 (IGFBP3) on pancreatic tumors was explored, and the related mechanisms were explored. METHODS: We analyzed the expression of m6A regulators in PC by digging deeper into the datasets of The Cancer Genome Atlas and Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) databases, and analyzed its relationship with the prognosis of patients with PC, looking for m6A methylation regulators that play an important role in the development and progression of PC. Reuse the ConsensusClusterPlus package, Cox analysis, and unsupervised clustering to delineate three distinct m6A clusters - designated as m6A cluster A, m6A cluster B, and m6A cluster C single-sample gene set enrichment analysis, gene set variation analysis, Gene Ontology, and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analyses evaluated the different pathway roles of these clusters in the development and progression of PC. Finally, the cell lines with IGFBP3 overexpression and knockdown were constructed by lentivirus transfection, the transfection effect was identified by WB, and the effects of IGFBP3 overexpression/knockdown on the survival and growth of PC cell lines were verified by cell cloning experiments and cell counting kit-8 experiments, and the possible related pathways were explored by KEGG. RESULTS: Most m6A regulatory factors are highly expressed in PC, and their high expression is negatively correlated with the prognosis of patients with PC. Furthermore, m6A regulatory factors may influence the occurrence and development of PC through metabolic pathways, stroma activation pathways, immune regulatory processes, and the immune microenvironment. Finally, the overexpression of IGFBP3 promoted the growth of PC cells, and vice versa. CONCLUSIONS: Most m6A regulatory factors are differentially expressed in PC and are associated with the prognosis of patients with PC, potentially influencing the occurrence and development of PC through pathways such as the immune microenvironment. The overexpression of IGFBP3 can promote the growth of PC cells and vice versa.

IGFBP3

A survey of ex vivo/in vitro transduction efficiency of mammalian primary cells and cell lines with Nine natural adeno-associated virus (AAV1-9) and one engineered adeno-associated virus serotype.

BACKGROUND: The ability to deliver a gene of interest into a specific cell type is an essential aspect of biomedical research. Viruses can be a useful tool for this delivery, particularly in difficult to transfect cell types. Adeno-associated virus (AAV) is a useful gene transfer vector because of its ability to mediate efficient gene transduction in numerous dividing and quiescent cell types, without inducing any known pathogenicity. There are now a number of natural for that designed AAV serotypes that each has a differential ability to infect a variety of cell types. Although transduction studies have been completed, the bulk of the studies have been done in vivo, and there has never been a comprehensive study of transduction ex vivo/in vitro. METHODS: Each cell type was infected with each serotype at a multiplicity of infection of 100,000 viral genomes/cell and transduction was analyzed by flow cytometry + . RESULTS: We found that AAV1 and AAV6 have the greatest ability to transduce a wide range of cell types, however, for particular cell types, there are specific serotypes that provide optimal transduction. CONCLUSIONS: In this work, we describe the transduction efficiency of ten different AAV serotypes in thirty-four different mammalian cell lines and primary cell types. Although these results may not be universal due to numerous factors such as, culture conditions and/ or cell growth rates and cell heterogeneity, these results provide an important and unique resource for investigators who use AAV as an ex vivo gene delivery vector or who work with cells that are difficult to transfect.

Animals

Discovery of bimodal hepatitis B virus ribonuclease H and capsid assembly inhibitors.

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) ribonuclease H (RNaseH) inhibitors are a potent class of antivirals that prevent degradation of the viral pregenomic RNA during reverse transcription and block formation of mature HBV DNAs. Development of HBV RNaseH inhibitors is entering advanced preclinical analyses. To ensure the mechanism of action was fully understood, we defined the effects of RNaseH inhibitors on other steps of HBV replication. Some N-hydroxypyridinedione (HPD) HBV RNaseH inhibitors significantly reduced accumulation of capsids in HBV-replicating cells. A representative HPD 1466, with a 50% effective concentration against HBV replication of 0.25 &#xb5;M, decreased capsid and core protein accumulation by 50-90% in HepDES19 and HepG2.2.15 cells. Surprisingly, 1466 did not affect pregenomic RNA encapsidation, demonstrating a specific effect on empty capsids. HBV genomic replication was not necessary for 1466's inhibitory effect as it decreased capsid accumulation in cells transfected with replication-deficient mutants blocking pgRNA encapsidation (&#x394;-bulge), DNA synthesis (YMHA), and RNaseH (D702A) activities. 1466 also decreased capsid and core protein accumulation in cells transfected with a core protein expression plasmid, indicating that other HBV products are unneeded. 1466 reduced initial capsid assembly rates in biochemical assembly reactions employing purified core protein (Cp149), demonstrating a specific effect on HBV core protein. We conclude that the bimodal HPD HBV RNaseH inhibitor 1466 is the prototypic member of a new class of capsid assembly modulators (CAM) that inhibits capsid assembly rather than accelerating it, as all other CAM classes do. We propose that this class be called CAM-I, for CAM-inhibitor. These results lay the foundation for identifying bimodal HBV antivirals targeting the RNaseH and capsid assembly.

Hepatitis B virus

Establishment of reverse genetics systems for Colorado tick fever virus.

The Colorado tick fever virus (CTFV), which has 12-segmented double-stranded RNA genomes, is a pathogenic arbovirus that causes severe diseases in humans. However, little progress has been made in the analysis of replication mechanisms and pathogenicity. This virological constraint is due to the absence of a reverse genetics system for CTFV; therefore, we aimed to establish the system. Initially, the efficacy of CTFV replication was investigated in various cell lines. CTFV was found to grow in many cell types derived from different hosts and organs. Subsequently, BHK-T7 cells stably expressing T7 RNA polymerase were transfected with plasmids encoding each of the 12 CTFV gene segments, expression plasmids encoding all CTFV proteins, and a vaccinia virus RNA-capping enzyme. Following transfection, the cells were co-cultured with Vero or HeLa cells. Using this system, we rescued monoreassortants and recombinant viruses harboring peptide-tagged viral proteins. Furthermore, an improved system using Expi293F cells expressing T7 RNA polymerase was established, which enabled the generation of recombinant reporter CTFVs. In conclusion, these reverse genetics systems for CTFV will greatly contribute to the understanding of viral replication mechanisms, pathogenesis, and transmission, ultimately facilitating the development of rational treatments and candidate vaccines.

Animals

Modified Plasmids and Inverted Terminal Repeats Enhance Adeno-Associated Virus Production and Performance.

Recombinant adeno-associated virus (rAAV) is a preferred vector in gene therapy, although high production costs inhibit widespread adoption. The most common approach for rAAV production involves transfection of HEK293 cells with three plasmids: pTransgene, pRep/Cap and pHelper. Producing sufficient amounts of these plasmids accounts for up to 40% of total batch costs. Initially, this work aimed to increase plasmid yields by replacing the backbones. While this approach increased pHelper yields, pRep/Cap and pTransgene yields were unaffected. A possible reason was identified: pTransgene contains inverted terminal repeat (ITR) sequences that are essential for rAAV production. ITRs have strong secondary structures (including hairpin loops termed B and C arms) that likely interfere with plasmid production. Therefore, targeted deletions were performed within the ITRs. Partial deletions in both the B and C arms of the ITR were most beneficial, as both plasmid yield and transgene expression increased. Importantly, partial deletions did not reduce rAAV yield, as had been previously observed when the B and C arms were fully deleted. In summary, we report a 140% increase in pHelper plasmid production, while the most successful ITR variant increased pTransgene plasmid yields by 57% and transgene expression by 28%, without reducing rAAV yields or transduction efficiency.

Humans

Biomaterial-Integrated Electroporation for Therapeutic Delivery: From Gene Editing to Tumor Ablation and Immune Modulation.

Electroporation has evolved from a membrane-permeabilization method into a versatile therapeutic platform for intracellular delivery, locoregional tumor intervention, and bioelectrically regulated treatment. Depending on pulse intensity and duration, electroporation operates in two distinct modes: reversible electroporation (RE), which transiently permeabilizes the plasma membrane to enable delivery of nucleic acids, proteins, and small molecules while preserving cell viability, and irreversible electroporation (IRE), which causes permanent membrane damage for non-thermal tissue ablation. Increasingly, the therapeutic scope of electroporation is being expanded through integration with biomaterials, including nanocarriers, hydrogels, soft conductors, and micro/nanoengineered bioelectronic interfaces. These material-assisted strategies improve cargo protection, field confinement, local retention, tissue conformity, and spatiotemporal control, thereby extending electroporation beyond conventional transfection toward gene editing, engineered cell manufacturing, electrochemotherapy, tumor ablation, immune modulation, and transdermal or localized delivery. In this Review, we summarize the biophysical principles of RE and IRE, discuss how biomaterials reshape electroporation performance across therapeutic settings, compare the design logic of major biomaterial-assisted electroporation platforms, and highlight key translational challenges, including pulse-material compatibility, manufacturing scalability, in vivo dosimetry, and regulatory complexity.

Humans

Using the Tether Function Assay to Identify Potential Regulators of mRNA Translation and mRNA Decay.

RNA binding proteins (RBPs) and their associated partners are key factors of posttranscriptional control of gene expression. To study and manipulate the functional consequences of binding of these regulators to their targets, several tethering assays have been developed, in which a protein of interest is brought to a reporter mRNA through heterologous RNA-protein interaction motifs. The effect of such constrained binding is then monitored by measuring the accumulation of the reporter protein and mRNA. This chapter describes a protocol for the &#x3bb;N-BoxB tether system in transiently transfected mammalian cells. Combining the luciferase reporter technology to quantify protein amounts by light measurement and RNA amounts by RT-qPCR, this assay provides a simple and robust way to analyze the consequences of any protein binding in a controlled and defined manner.

RNA, Messenger