The spherulites(TM): a promising carrier for oligonucleotide delivery.

Concentric multilamellar microvesicles, named spherulites(TM), were evaluated as an oligonucleotide carrier. Up to 80% oligonucleotide was encapsulated in these vesicles. The study was carried out on two different spherulite(TM) formulations. The spherulite(TM) size and stability characteristics are presented. Delivery of encapsulated oligonucleotide was performed on a rat hepatocarcinoma and on a lymphoblastoid T cell line, both expressing the luciferase gene. We showed that spherulites(TM) were able to transfect both adherent and suspension cell lines and deliver the oligonucleotide to the nucleus. Moreover, 48-62% luciferase inhibition was obtained in the rat hepatocarcinoma cell line when the antisense oligonucleotide targeted to the luciferase coding region was encapsulated at 500 nM concentration in spherulites(TM) of different compositions.

Association of polyacrylamide beads to polyethylene terephthalate prostheses.

A method for the coupling of polyacrylamide beads to polyethylene terephthalate (PET) vascular prostheses is described. The reactional procedure used is performed along several steps; acrylic acid grafting on PET textile fibres, in order to introduce reactive carboxylic groups, introduction of terminal primary amine groups onto the beads, and then, attachment method which consists in coupling carboxylic groups of prostheses with amine groups of modified beads. The relative weight increase of the samples before and after the coupling reaction and, microscopic observations of beads distribution onto the prostheses surface demonstrate the binding feasibility of polyacrylamide matrices to PET prostheses. In the near future, authors expect to replace these beads by microcapsules with polyacrylamide wall and containing active compounds to improve the vascular prostheses biocompatibility.