Gene Gun Delivery of mRNA

Creativebiolabs24 Oct, 2023Technology

Gene gun is a physical method for the introduction of macromolecules such as DNA, RNA, proteins, or peptides to the target cells with a high-velocity stream, using an electric discharge or a pressurized helium pulse. This technique was originally designed for the introduction of DNA into plant cells and later was applied for mRNA transfection studies in mammalian cells in vitro as well as in vivo. The basic principle of this technique is the following: high-speed heavy metal particles coated with DNA or RNA bombard cell barrier and enter into cells, leaving the cargo inside the cells. Currently, gene gun technique has been widely applied for RNA transfection studies involved in mRNA vaccine and gene therapy. For example, exogenous mRNA (encoding granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor or ?-globin) can be delivered into peripheral blood mononuclear cells by gene gun technique.