An effective and biocompatible polyethylenimine based vaginal suppository for gene delivery

Abstract Gene therapy targeted human papillomavirus (HPV) is a promising treatment for cervical cancer, and the key for clinical application depends on an effective gene delivery method. Our aim was to formulate a new pharmaceutical formula for appropriate gene delivery intravaginally. For the first time, we here developed a new polyethylenimine (PEI) based vaginal suppository. The sectional immunofluorescence results confirmed the delivery efficacy both in vivo and in vitro. The quenching fluorescence and decreased gene expression in topical epithelium of green fluorescence protein (GFP) transgenic mice demonstrated the efficient targeting potential of the suppository. The other aim of this study was to evaluate the biocompatibility of the PEI based transfer. To our knowledge, this was also the first study to explore the toxicity in vivo systematically and comprehensively. Our study provided novel ideas for the translational application of PEI based suppository to the prevention and treatment of cervical cancer.