A novel electroporation device for gene delivery in large animals and humans

Intramuscular injection of plasmid DNA followed by electrical stimulation (electroporation) is an efficient method for achieving therapeutic levels of encoded proteins or eliciting efficient immune responses in smaller animals such as mice and rats. Electroporation in larger animals and humans poses...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Vaccine 2006-05, Vol.24 (21), p.4667-4670
Main Authors: Tjelle, Torunn Elisabeth, Salte, Ragnar, Mathiesen, Iacob, Kjeken, Rune
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animals
Antibody Formation
beta-Galactosidase - genetics
Deoxyribonucleic acid
Design
DNA
DNA vaccination
Efficiency
Electrodes
Electroporation
Electroporation - instrumentation
Equipment Design
Gene expression
Gene Transfer Techniques
Genetic Therapy
Green Fluorescent Proteins - genetics
Humans
Immunization
Injection
Mice
Needles
Pain
Rats
Sheep
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Summary:Intramuscular injection of plasmid DNA followed by electrical stimulation (electroporation) is an efficient method for achieving therapeutic levels of encoded proteins or eliciting efficient immune responses in smaller animals such as mice and rats. Electroporation in larger animals and humans poses new technical challenges, the main difficulty being to maintain efficacy while limiting invasiveness and pain. Here we present data using a new device for combined injection and electroporation in large animals and humans. The device injects DNA through two needles during insertion into the muscle and thus distributes the injection volume along the needles which also serve as electrodes. Since the electrical field is strongest close to the needle-electrode, a near perfect match between the DNA and the electric field is achieved. We show that using moderate amounts of DNA: (1) muscle tissue is transfected along the entire length of the needle path, (2) the efficacy is higher compared to when the DNA is injected between the electrodes, (3) level of protein expression can be tightly controlled by the number of treatments, and (4) efficient immunization is achieved.
ISSN:0264-410X
1873-2518
DOI:10.1016/j.vaccine.2005.08.068