Poly-L-lysine as a crosslinker in bile acid and alginate nanoaggregates for gene delivery in auditory cells.

Hearing loss is a condition that may affect a wide array of patients from various backgrounds. There are no cures for sensorineural hearing loss. Gene therapy is one possible method of improving hearing status; however, gene delivery remains challenging. Polymer nanoaggregates of alginate and poly-L-lysine were prepared with and without bile acid. The nanoaggregates had physical properties, cytotoxicity, gene release and gene expression analyzed. The nanoparticles produced had appropriate size and charge, low cytotoxicity between 0.5 and 1.0 mg/ml and linear gene release but poor transfection efficiency. The present study provides preliminary evidence for the efficacy of polymer nanotechnology with bile acids for inner ear gene delivery; optimization is required to improve transfection efficiency.