Analysis of novel nonviral gene transfer systems for gene delivery to cells of the musculoskeletal system

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the efficacy of novel nonviral gene delivery systems in cells of musculoskeletal origin. Primary cultures of lapine skeletal muscle cells, lapine articular chondrocytes, human cells from fibrous dysplasia and cell lines established from human osteosarcoma (SAOS-2), chondrosarcoma (CS-1), murine skeletal myoblasts (L8) and fibroblasts (NIH 3T3) were transfected with the P. pyralis luc or the E. coli lacZ genes using Nanofectin 1 and 2, Superfect, JetPEI, GeneJammer, Effectene, TransPass D2, FuGENE 6, Lipofectamine 2000, Dreamfect, Metafectene, Escort III, and calcium phosphate. Maximal transfection efficiency in lapine skeletal muscle cells was of 60.8 +/- 21.2% using Dreamfect, 38.9 +/- 5.0% in articular chondrocytes using Gene Jammer, 5.2 +/- 8.0% in human cells from fibrous dysplasia using Lipofectamine 2000, 12.7 +/- 16.2% in SAOS-2 cells using FuGENE 6, 29.9 +/- 3.5% in CS-1 cells using Lipofectamine 2000, 70.7 +/- 8.6% in L8 cells using FuGENE 6, and 48.9 +/- 13.0% in NIH 3T3 cells using Metafectene. When the cells were transfected with a human IGF-I gene, significant amounts of the IGF-I protein were secreted. These results indicate that relatively high levels of transfection can be achieved using novel nonviral gene transfer methods.