Abstract
Gene therapy is a process of introducing foreign genomic materials into target cells to elicit a therapeutic benefit. A diverse array of inherited and acquired diseases are targets of gene therapy. To overcome the multidrug resistance (MDR), one of the major impediment against curative cancer chemotherapy, the application of small interfering RNA (siRNA) provide a new opportunity for specific gene-silencing of MDR-associated proteins. In this study, a simple and novel approach is presented for constructing a dual delivery vector through a one-pot hydrothermal reaction, using graphene oxide (GO), polyethylenimine (PEI) and polyethylene glycol (PEG) as starting materials. The resulting nanoplatform, rGO-PEI/PEG exhibited minimal toxicity and could effectively complex siRNA at a W/W ratio above 3.4. Additionally, rGO-PEI/PEG was capable of high drug loading (doxorubicin, ~0.49 mg/mg) and photothermally triggered cytosolic drug delivery. With optimal near-infrared laser irradiation, the drug-loaded rGO-PEI/PEG demonstrated an enhanced antitumor efficacy in cancer cells through combined photothermal effect and chemotherapy. The synergistic potential of dual drugs (doxorubicin and siRNA)-loaded rGO-PEI/PEG in combination with laser irradiation will next be explored to augment the therapeutic effect in MDR cancer cells. The advances described above will complement our knowledge of graphene functionality and serve to guide its application in gene/drug delivery.