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High Molecular Weight Poly(ethylenimine)‐Based Water‐Soluble Lipopolymer for Transfection of Cancer Cells
Author(s) -
Abd Elhameed Heba Alaa Hosiny,
Ungor Ditta,
Igaz Nóra,
Gopisetty Mohana Krishna,
Kiricsi Mónika,
Csapó Edit,
Gyurcsik Béla
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
macromolecular bioscience
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.924
H-Index - 105
eISSN - 1616-5195
pISSN - 1616-5187
DOI - 10.1002/mabi.202000040
Subject(s) - dynamic light scattering , chemistry , agarose gel electrophoresis , transfection , gene delivery , fluorescence microscope , hela , zeta potential , biophysics , cytotoxicity , materials science , nanoparticle , biochemistry , fluorescence , nanotechnology , dna , in vitro , biology , physics , quantum mechanics , gene
Over the past decade, search for novel materials for nucleic acid delivery has prompted a special interest in polymeric nanoparticles (NPs). In this study, the biological applicability of a water‐soluble cationic lipopolymer (WSLP) obtained by the modification of high molecular weight branched poly(ethylenimine) (PEI) with cholesteryl chloroformate is characterized and assessed for better cellular membrane permeability. To test the delivery efficiency of the produced lipopolymer, plasmid DNA (pDNA) encoding the enhanced green fluorescent protein and WSLP are mixed at different charge ratios. WSLP and WSLP/pDNA complexes are characterized by dynamic and static light scattering, particle charge detection, scanning electron microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy. The pDNA loading of WSLP is also verified by agarose gel electrophoresis. Cytotoxicity of PEI, WSLP, and of WSLP/pDNA is evaluated on human A549 and HeLa cells. A remarkable dependence of the toxicity on the dose, cholesterylation, and charge ratio is detected. Transfection is monitored by flow cytometry and by fluorescence microscopy. Importantly, cholesterylation decreases the toxicity of the polymer, while promoting high transfection efficiency in both cell lines. This work indicates a possible optimization mode of the high molecular weight PEI‐based WSLP rendering it a promising candidate for gene delivery.