Nanotherapeutics Using an HIV-1 Poly A and Transactivator of the HIV-1 LTR-(TAR-) Specific siRNA

Figure 5

Effect of QR-si510 siRNA nanoplex on LTR/RU5 gene expression in HIV-1-infected THP-1 cells. THP-1 monocytic cultures were treated with lipofectamine transfected scrambled siRNA (10 nM), Lipofectamine transfected si510 HIV-1 siRNA (10 nM) and the QR-si510 siRNA (10 nM) nanoplex for time period ranging from 12 hr to 1 week posttransfection. At the end of the incubation period, RNA was extracted, reverse transcribed and the LTR/RU5 gene expression quantitated using Q-PCR. Our results show a significant decrease in HIV-1 LTR gene expression in HIV-1-infected THP-1 cells treated with the 10 nM QR-si510 HIV-1siRNA nanoplex at 12, 24, 48, 96 hr, and 1 week posttransfection as compared to the untransfected THP-1 cells and the scrambled control. The results shown are mean ± SD of 3 separate experiments done in duplicate.