Highly Effective Delivery of Foreign DNA to Adherent Cells via Polybrene/DMSO-Assisted Gene Transfer

The ability to transfect cells with native genometic DNA and engineered gene/vector constructs has played a leading role in accelerating our understanding of gene regulation and function. Yet, despite significant diversification of gene delivery strategies, efforts to expand the repertory of cell types amenable to DNA-mediated gene transfer continue to stumble over a recurrent obstacle—namely, the sensitivity that recipient cells often manifest towards the gene transfer procedure itself (1 ,2 ). To minimize the likelihood of cytopathic effects engendered by chemical and physical methods investigators, more and more, are adopting low toxicity synthetic polymers and ligand-mediated strategies to dispatch copious amounts of exogenous DNA to the surfaces of target cells (3 –10 ).