Gene delivery in the cornea: in vitro

Inflammation is a process that underlies sight-threatening ocular surface diseases, and gene supplementation with the plasmid that encodes for interleukin-10 (p- IL10) will allow the sustained de novo synthesis of the cytokine to occur in corneal cells, and provide a long-term anti-inflammatory effect. This work describes the development of solid lipid nanoparticle (SLN) systems for the delivery of p-IL10 to transfect the cornea. Results: In vitro, vectors showed suitable features as non-viral vectors (size, zeta potential, DNA binding, protection and release), and they were able to enter and transfect human corneal epithelial cells. Ex vivo, the vectors were found to transfect the epithelium, the stroma and the endothelium in rabbit corneal explants. Distribution of gene expression within the cell layers of the cornea depended on the composition of the four vectors evaluated. Conclusion: SLN-based vectors are promising gene delivery systems for corneal diseases, including inflammation.This work was supported by the Spanish Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad (SAF2014-53092-R), by FEDER funds from the EU, by the UPV/EHU (PPG17/65, GIU17/032 and J Torrecilla’s research grant), and by Italian Ministero dell’Università e Ricerca (MIUR – Ricerca Locale 2016-2017)