Efficient and nontoxic biomolecule delivery to primary human hematopoietic stem cells using nanostraws

Significance Primary stem cells are difficult to transfect, and their viability and function are impaired by traditional transfection methods. We show that nanostraws can be used to deliver RNA to primary human hematopoietic stem cells without any detectable negative effects. Nanostraw-treated cells show no alterations in gene expression and fully retain their proliferative capacity and their potential to regenerate blood cells of different lineages in vivo. This nonperturbative transfection method can benefit functional studies and clinical applications where minimal impact on stem cell function and viability is required. Introduction of exogenous genetic material into primary stem cells is essential for studying biological function and for clinical applications. Traditional delivery methods for nucleic acids, such as electroporation, have advanced the field, but have negative effects on stem cell function and viability. We introduce nanostraw-assisted transfection as an alternative method for RNA delivery to human hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs). Nanostraws are hollow alumina nanotubes that can be used to deliver biomolecules to living cells. We use nanostraws to target human primary HSPCs and show efficient delivery of mRNA, short interfering RNAs (siRNAs), DNA oligonucleotides, and dextrans of sizes ranging from 6 kDa to 2,000 kDa. Nanostraw-treated cells were fully functional and viable, with no impairment in their proliferative or colony-forming capacity, and showed similar long-term engraftment potential in vivo as untreated cells. Additionally, we found that gene expression of the cells was not perturbed by nanostraw treatment, while conventional electroporation changed the expression of more than 2,000 genes. Our results show that nanostraw-mediated transfection is a gentle alternative to established gene delivery methods, and uniquely suited for nonperturbative treatment of sensitive primary stem cells.

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