Laser-induced stress wave-assisted gene transfection with cationic liposome

We showed that efficiency of gene transfer using laser-induced stress waves (LISWs) can be drastically enhanced by modifying plasmid DNA with cationic liposome. Cultured NIH 3T3 cells were covered with a suspension including plasmid DNA that had been modified with Lipofectamine, and a laser target was placed over the suspension. The cells were exposed to stress waves generated by irradiation of the laser target with 6-ns laser pulses. The cells showed a significantly higher transfection efficiency compared with that of cells treated with LISWs alone or Lipofectamine alone.