Enhanced Gene Delivery and Expression using Intraosseous Injection of Chitosan Nanoparticles Encapsulated Adenine Base Editor Plasmids

The delivery of exogenous plasmids into experimental animals is crucial in biomedical research, including the investigation of gene functions, the elucidation of disease mechanisms, and the assessment of drug efficacy. However, the transfection efficiency of the current method is relatively low, and the introduction of plasmids for long-term gene expression may be affected by the immune system. To address these limitations, we developed and investigated a novel method that utilizes chitosan to encapsulate adenine base editor (ABE) plasmids and then directly deliver the complex to the bone marrow of mice by intraosseous injection. In this study, to target the CaMK II δ gene, which is closely related to osteoclast differentiation, we utilized chitosan to encapsulate ABE CaMK II δ plasmids. We directly injected the plasmid cargo into the bone marrow cavity by intraosseous injection. Results showed a high in vivo editing efficiency of 14.27% at the A1 locus and 10.69% at the A2 locus in recipient mice. This novel strategy is not only particularly suitable for diseases caused by abnormal osteoclast function but also holds significant potential for advancing the field of gene therapy.