Edelburga Hammerschmid

Helmholtz Zentrum München, München, Bavaria, Germany

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Publications (3)7.78 Total impact

  • Article: Liposomal magnetofection.
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    ABSTRACT: In a magnetofection procedure, self-assembling complexes of enhancers like cationic lipids with plasmid DNA or small interfering RNA (siRNA) are associated with magnetic nanoparticles and are then concentrated at the surface of cultured cells by applying a permanent inhomogeneous magnetic field. This process results in a considerable improvement in transfection efficiency compared to transfection carried out with nonmagnetic gene vectors. This article describes how to synthesize magnetic nanoparticles suitable for nucleic acid delivery by liposomal magnetofection and how to test the plasmid DNA and siRNA association with the magnetic components of the transfection complex. Protocols are provided for preparing magnetic lipoplexes, performing magnetofection in adherent and suspension cells, estimating the association/internalization of vectors with cells, performing reporter gene analysis, and assessing cell viability. The methods described here can be used to screen magnetic nanoparticles and formulations for the delivery of nucleic acids by liposomal magnetofection in any cell type.
    Methods in molecular biology (Clifton, N.J.) 01/2010; 605:487-525.
  • Article: Recent advances in magnetofection and its potential to deliver siRNAs in vitro.
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    ABSTRACT: This chapter describes how to design and conduct experiments to deliver siRNA to adherent mammalian cells in vitro by magnetic force-assisted transfection using self-assembled complexes of small interfering RNA (siRNA) and cationic lipids or polymers that are associated with magnetic nanoparticles. These magnetic complexes are targeted to the cell surface by the application of a magnetic gradient field. In this chapter, first we describe the synthesis of magnetic nanoparticles for magnetofection and the association of siRNA with the magnetic components of the transfection complex. Second, a simple protocol is described in order to evaluate magnetic responsiveness of the magnetic siRNA transfection complexes and estimate the complex loading with magnetic nanoparticles. Third, protocols are provided for the preparation of magnetic lipoplexes and polyplexes of siRNA, magnetofection, downregulation of gene expression, and the determination of cell viability. The addition of INF-7 peptide, a fusogenic peptide, to the magnetic transfection triplexes improved gene silencing in HeLa cells. The described protocols are also valuable for screening vector compositions and novel magnetic nanoparticle preparations to optimize siRNA transfection by magnetofection in every cell type.
    Methods in molecular biology (Clifton, N.J.) 02/2009; 487:111-46.
  • Article: Oncostatin M-mediated regulation of KIT-ligand-induced extracellular signal-regulated kinase signaling maintains hematopoietic repopulating activity of Lin-CD34+CD133+ cord blood cells.
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    ABSTRACT: We investigated whether KIT signaling was sufficient to maintain human hematopoietic stem cells in culture or whether, as with murine stem cells, signaling through glycoprotein 130 (gp130) is additionally required. Sorted CD34(+)CD133(+)(CD33/CD38/CD71)(-) cells from human umbilical cord blood (UCB) were cultured in the presence of combinations of KIT-ligand (KL) and the gp130 stimulating molecule oncostatin M (OSM). We found that OSM increased KL-induced proliferation, which was accompanied by an expansion in numbers of mature progenitors colony-forming cells (CFC, CAFCw2). More primitive progenitors, CAFCw6 and long-term culture-CFC, were not maintained by KL as a single factor. Although addition of OSM did not improve survival, the KL/OSM combination showed improved maintenance of immature progenitors as well as higher CD34 expression. Similarly, both KL and OSM were required to maintain NOD/SCID-repopulating activity. In experiments to investigate the underlying mechanism, we found that extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) and its downstream target p90 ribosomal S6 kinase were activated by KL and downregulated by the inclusion of OSM during stimulation. The p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (p38 MAPK) was not modulated by either KL or OSM. Indeed, many of the effects of OSM (increased cell division, maintenance of CFC, and maintenance of high CD34 expression) could be mimicked by using the mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase inhibitor U0126. More importantly, NOD/SCID-repopulating activity was preserved in the KL/U0126-stimulated cells, but not in cells stimulated with a combination of KL and the p38 MAPK inhibitor SB203580. Our results show that the loss of repopulating activity during KL stimulation is counteracted by OSM through the downregulation of ERK pathway signaling. Disclosure of potential conflicts of interest is found at the end of this article.
    Stem Cells 06/2008; 26(8):2164-72. · 7.78 Impact Factor