Choice of an Effective System of Nonviral siRNA Delivery to Multipotent Mesenchymal Stromal Cells

Multipotent mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) can be used as a model for the development of gene and cell technologies and as a means of the delivery of nucleic acids to the body, including delivery as part of tissue-engineered constructs. Small interfering RNA (siRNA) molecules, which act via the RNA interference mechanism, are a high-precision tool for the genetic silencing of target mRNA transcripts. The search for highly efficient transfection agents with low toxicity for the delivery of siRNA or other nucleic acids to MSCs is an urgent task for the development of therapy based on these molecules. A comparative evaluation of five transfection agents showed that compounds based on cationic polymers were more efficient in the delivery of siRNA molecules than liposomes, while the cytotoxicity of all tested reagents was independent of their chemical classes. Two of the three transfection agents , TurboFect and Lipofectamine® 3000, which were selected according to their efficiency and class, demonstrated a moderate effect on cell viability. The results indicate that TurboFect and Lipofectamine® 3000 can be recommended as highly efficient and relatively low-toxicity agents for the transfection of MSC cultures.