Bionanocomposites based on sepiolite as nano-carriers of nucleic acids and their biotechnological applications

Abstract

The present work focuses on a new field of multidisciplinary research located in the state of the art of Nanobiotechnology and Nanomedicine. In this way, it will be shown how nanofibers of sepiolite might constitute a potential promising non-viral nanocarrier for the intracellular transfer of biomolecules [1]. Specifically, it focused on the synthesis, physical-chemical characterization, and evaluation of biotechnological applications of new sepiolite-based bionanocomposites, as part of therapeutic strategies for the treatment of diseases of genetic origin. Firstly, insights on the adsorption of nucleic acids (DNA and RNA) on sepiolite from Vallecas-Vicálvaro region (Madrid, Spain) will be introduced to confirm the formation of the corresponding bionanocomposites. The resulting biohybrid materials were subjected to a deep characterization using novel techniques and methodologies, identifying that DNA is adsorbed in a reversible and efficient way in sepiolite nanofibers mainly via interactions with the sepiolite silanol groups located along the external surface of the silicate fibres. Moreover, it was observed that sepiolite can be internalized spontaneously by eukaryotic cells, and the predominant action of endocytic and non-endocytic mechanisms of cellular internalization were identified. These bionanocomposites have been also tested as a novel non-viral gene vector to stably transfer nucleic acids into cancer cell lines. Furthermore, additional strategies were designed in view to significantly increase transfection efficiency. In conclusion, the obtained results open the way to the use of sepiolite as a novel class of nano-platform to produce DNA-based bionanocomposites useful for gene transfer with potential clinical applications, as well as for the development of novel biological models of interest for both, Academia and biotechnological applications.