Exploring Novel Methods in Sonoportation

• Author / Creator

  Wong, Peter Kwok Pan

• Sonoporation, a physical, non-viral, non-chemical transfection method, promises great potentials. However, many drawbacks hinders its generalization. Low transfection rate and cell viability after treatment are among the hindering factors of sonoporation.
  The purpose of the research performed in this thesis was to develop, explore and analyze new methodologies to overcome the known drawbacks of sonoporation, which are to increase cell viability and transfection rate. These novel methods include the use of a self-developed ultrasound box, self-developed microbubble carriers and the synergistic use of chemical transfection reagents. Sonoporation were performed on MCF-7 and KG-1 cells as they represent easy and difficult to transfect cell lines respectively. Permeability markers, flow cytometry, MTT assay and MTS assay were used to quantify transfection rate and cell viability after sonoporation.
  New procedures were performed, analyzed and evaluated for their feasibility for drug and or gene delivery. The thesis has shown improvements in transfection rate and preserving viability. However, sonoporation still remains an inefficient method to deliver material into hard-to-transfect cells.

• Subjects / Keywords

  • Transfection
  • Delivery
  • Sonoporation

• Graduation date

  Fall 2012

• Type of Item

  Thesis

• Degree

  Master of Science

• DOI

  https://doi.org/10.7939/R30S62

• License

  This thesis is made available by the University of Alberta Libraries with permission of the copyright owner solely for non-commercial purposes. This thesis, or any portion thereof, may not otherwise be copied or reproduced without the written consent of the copyright owner, except to the extent permitted by Canadian copyright law.