Physical interactions between DNA and sepiolite nanofibers, and potential application for DNA transfer into mammalian cells

Nanofibers of sepiolite, a natural silicate belonging to the clay minerals family, might constitute a potential promising nanocarrier for the non-viral transfer of bio-molecules. We show here that sepiolite nanofibers efficiently bind different types of DNA molecules through electrostatic interactions, hydrogen bonding, cation bridges, and van der Waals forces. Moreover, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy identified the external silanol groups as the main sites of interaction with the DNA. Furthermore, as a proof of concept, we show that sepiolite is able to stably transfer plasmid DNA into mammalian cells and that the efficiency can be optimized. Indeed, sonication of sepiolite 100-fold stimulated DNA transfection efficiency. These results open the way to the use of sepiolite-based biohybrids as a novel class of nanoplatform for gene transfer with potential clinical applications.