Gene silencing mediated by magnetic lipospheres tagged with small interfering RNA.

Lipospheres made from soy bean oil and a combination of the cationic lipid Metafectene and the helper lipid dioleoylphosphatidyl-ethanolamine were functionalized with magnetic nanoparticles (NPs) and small interfering RNA (siRNA). The resulting magnetic lipospheres loaded with siRNA are proven here as efficient nonviral vectors for gene silencing. Embedding magnetic NPs in the shell of lipospheres allows for magnetic force-assisted transfection (magnetofection) as well as magnetic targeting in both static and fluidic conditions mimicking the bloodstream.