Effects of branched or linear architecture of bioreducible poly(amido amine)s on their in vitro gene delivery properties

Poly(amido-amine)-based hydrogels with tailored mechanical properties and degradation rates for tissue engineering

Poly(amido-amine) (PAA) hydrogels containing the 2,2-bisacrylamidoacetic acid-4-amminobutyl guanidine monomeric unit have a known ability to enhance cellular adhesion by interacting with the arginin-glycin-aspartic acid (RGD)-binding αVβ3 integrin, expressed by a wide number of cell types. Scientific interest in this class of materials has traditionally been hampered by their poor mechanical properties and restricted range of degradation rate. Here we present the design of novel biocompatible, RGD-mimic PAA-based hydrogels with wide and tunable degradation rates as well as improved mechanical and biological properties for biomedical applications. This is achieved by radical polymerization of acrylamide-terminated PAA oligomers in both the presence and absence of 2-hydroxyethylmethacrylate. The degradation rate is found to be precisely tunable by adjusting the PAA oligomer molecular weight and acrylic co-monomer concentration in the starting reaction mixture. Cell adhesion and proliferation tests on Madin-Darby canine kidney epithelial cells show that PAA-based hydrogels have the capacity to promote cell adhesion up to 200% compared to the control. Mechanical tests show higher compressive strength of acrylic chain containing hydrogels compared to traditional PAA hydrogels.

Fabrication of novel reduction-sensitive gene vectors based on three-armed peptides

To address the inherent barriers of gene transfection, two reduction-sensitive branched polypeptides (RBPs) are synthesized and explored as novel non-viral gene vectors. The introduced disulfide linkages in RBPs facilitate glutathione-triggered intracellular gene release and reduce polymer degradation-induced cytotoxicity. Furthermore, the highly branched architecture concurrently realizes multivalency for strong DNA binding and elicits conformational flexibility for tight DNA compacting, which are beneficial for cellular entry. To increase the endosomal escape of plasmid DNA, pH-sensitive histidyl residues are incorporated into RBPs to improve buffer capacity in an acidic environment. In vitro study demonstrates that RBPs can efficiently mediate the DNA transfection and avoid apparent cytotoxicity in HeLa and COS7. The present gene delivery system offers a simple and flexible approach to fabricate microenvironment-specific branched gene vectors for gene therapy.

Design, preparation and application of nucleic acid delivery carriers

Gene delivery vectors must deliver their cargoes into the cytosol or the nucleus, where DNA or siRNA functions in vivo. Therefore it is crucial for the rational design of the nucleic acid delivery carriers. Compared with viral vectors, non-viral vectors have overcome some fatal defections in gene therapy. Whereas the most important issue for the non-viral vectors is the low transfection efficiency, which hinders the progress of non-viral carriers. Sparked by the structures of the virus and understanding of the process of virus infection, various biomimic structures of non-viral carriers were designed and prepared to improve the transfection issues in vitro and in vivo. However, less impressive results are achieved. In this review, we will investigate the evolution of the virus-mimicking carriers of nucleic acids for gene therapy, especially in cancer therapy; explore and discuss the relationship between the structures, materials and functions of the carriers, to provide guidance for establishing safe and highly efficient non-viral carriers for gene therapy.