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Pluronic‐grafted poly‐( L )‐lysine as a new synthetic gene carrier
Author(s) -
Jeon Eunjung,
Kim HeeDoo,
Kim JinSeok
Publication year - 2003
Publication title -
journal of biomedical materials research part a
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.849
H-Index - 150
eISSN - 1552-4965
pISSN - 1549-3296
DOI - 10.1002/jbm.a.10012
Subject(s) - transfection , poloxamer , cytotoxicity , hela , materials science , gene delivery , microbiology and biotechnology , reporter gene , polymer , polylysine , in vitro , poloxamer 407 , dna , genetic enhancement , biophysics , gene , biochemistry , gene expression , biology , copolymer , composite material
Abstract Genes are attractive candidates as therapeutic agents, and the development of safe and effective gene carriers is essential for the success of human gene therapy. To develop a gene delivery vector that shows low cytotoxicity and high efficiency, we synthesized poly‐ L ‐lysine‐ g ‐pluronic by conjugating poly‐ L ‐lysine (PLL) to pluronic, which is partially functionalized with para‐nitrophenyl carbonate groups, and evaluated for its efficiency as a possible nonviral gene carrier candidate. Structural analysis of synthesized polymer was performed by using 1 H‐NMR. Gel retardation assay, ζ potential and size measurement confirmed that the new gene carrier made a compact complex with plasmid DNA. pCMV‐β‐gal was used as a reporter gene, and the in vitro transfection efficiency was measured in HeLa cells by using the o ‐nitrophenyl‐β‐ D ‐galactopyranoside assay. The highest transfection efficiency among those tested was achieved at the 1:1 weight ratio of polymer:DNA, and a 3‐fold increase in transfection efficiency was achieved by treatment of a lysosomotropic agent, chloroquine. Compared with unmodified PLL, PLL‐ g ‐pluronic showed about 2‐fold increase in transfection efficiency with similar cytotoxicity specifically at the 1:1 weight ratio of polymer:DNA. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res 66A: 854–859, 2003