Adv Polym Sci (2013) 254: 51–86
DOI: 10.1007/12_2012_194
# Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2012
Published online: 5 February 2013
Nanoparticles for Gene Delivery into Stem Cells
and Embryos
Pallavi Pushp, Rajdeep Kaur, Hoon Taek Lee, and Mukesh Kumar Gupta
Abstract Gene delivery is an important issue in embryo and stem cell studies for
transgenic animal production, cell fate regulation, gene therapy, generation of
patient-specific stem cells for cell-based therapy, cell tracing and imaging. Gene
delivery has been classically achieved by a variety of methods that use a viral or a
non-viral vector packaged with the nucleic acid of interest. In the last decade,
several newer approaches to gene delivery have emerged that utilize nanomaterials
to provide an efficient, safe and targeted gene delivery, both in vitro and in vivo.
These nanomaterials, including polymeric nanoparticles, ceramic nanoparticles,
magnetic nanoparticles, polymeric micelles and dendrimers, modify the kinetics,
distribution and release of the genes into the cells and, thereby, increase the
efficiency of gene delivery. This chapter describes the available nanoparticlebased gene delivery systems and their utility in stem cells for maintaining
self-renewal, pluripotency and/or targeted differentiation into specific cell types
for cell-based therapy and/or gene therapy. The chapter further discusses and
reviews the progress and future of nanoparticles for generation of transgenic animals
via gene delivery into embryos – a research area that is yet to be fully explored.
Keywords Embryo Á Gene delivery Á Genetic engineering Á Nanoparticle Á
Reprogramming Á Stem cells Á Transgenesis
P. Pushp, R. Kaur, and M.K. Gupta (*)
Department of Biotechnology and Medical Engineering, National Institute of Technology,
Rourkela, India
e-mail: pushppallavi88@gmail.com; rajdeepkaur.10@gmail.com; guptam@nitrkl.ac.in
H.T. Lee
Department of Animal Biotechnology, Bio-Organ Research Center, Konkuk University, Seoul,
South Korea
e-mail: htl3675@konkuk.ac.kr
DOI: 10.1007/12_2012_194
# Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2012
Published online: 5 February 2013
Nanoparticles for Gene Delivery into Stem Cells
and Embryos
Pallavi Pushp, Rajdeep Kaur, Hoon Taek Lee, and Mukesh Kumar Gupta
Abstract Gene delivery is an important issue in embryo and stem cell studies for
transgenic animal production, cell fate regulation, gene therapy, generation of
patient-specific stem cells for cell-based therapy, cell tracing and imaging. Gene
delivery has been classically achieved by a variety of methods that use a viral or a
non-viral vector packaged with the nucleic acid of interest. In the last decade,
several newer approaches to gene delivery have emerged that utilize nanomaterials
to provide an efficient, safe and targeted gene delivery, both in vitro and in vivo.
These nanomaterials, including polymeric nanoparticles, ceramic nanoparticles,
magnetic nanoparticles, polymeric micelles and dendrimers, modify the kinetics,
distribution and release of the genes into the cells and, thereby, increase the
efficiency of gene delivery. This chapter describes the available nanoparticlebased gene delivery systems and their utility in stem cells for maintaining
self-renewal, pluripotency and/or targeted differentiation into specific cell types
for cell-based therapy and/or gene therapy. The chapter further discusses and
reviews the progress and future of nanoparticles for generation of transgenic animals
via gene delivery into embryos – a research area that is yet to be fully explored.
Keywords Embryo Á Gene delivery Á Genetic engineering Á Nanoparticle Á
Reprogramming Á Stem cells Á Transgenesis
P. Pushp, R. Kaur, and M.K. Gupta (*)
Department of Biotechnology and Medical Engineering, National Institute of Technology,
Rourkela, India
e-mail: pushppallavi88@gmail.com; rajdeepkaur.10@gmail.com; guptam@nitrkl.ac.in
H.T. Lee
Department of Animal Biotechnology, Bio-Organ Research Center, Konkuk University, Seoul,
South Korea
e-mail: htl3675@konkuk.ac.kr