Inorganic nanoparticles improve gene transfer into cells

Investigators have developed calcium phosphate nanoparticles to function as stable gene carriers. While other research teams have explored the use of calcium phosphate-based materials for gene delivery – calcium phosphate is the major mineral component and is biocompatible – these efforts have largely failed because the physical characteristics of these materials did not protect DNA from degradation and did not promote efficient uptake by cells. This group of investigators appears to have overcome these limitations by developing a new chemical method that allows them to carefully adjust the relative amounts of calcium and phosphorous in the nanoparticles.