Jiang Ge, Min Sang-Hyun, Kim Mi-Na, Lee Dong-Chul, Lim Mi-Jung, Yeom Young-Il
Bioengineering College, Dalian University, Dalian 116622, China.
Yao Xue Xue Bao. 2006 May;41(5):439-45.
To avoid the limitation of the use of cationic polyethlenimine (PEI)-complexed plasmid DNA use for in vitro or in vivo gene delivery due to its cytotoxicity and lower efficiency in the presence of serum.
A polyplex with decreased positive charge on the complex surface was designed. The PEI/DNA (PD) complexes coated with an anionic biodegradable polymer, alginate were prepared and their gene delivery behavior with PD was compared.
The alginate-coated PD polyplex, where alginate : PEI : DNA [alginate : DNA, 0.15 (w/w); PEI : DNA, N : P = 10] showed about 10 - 30 fold-increased transfection efficiency compared to corresponding non-coated complexes to C3 cells in the presence of 50% serum. The surface charge of the alginate-coated complex was approximately half of that of the alginate-lacking complex. The size of alginate-coated complex was slightly smaller than that of the corresponding complex without alginate. The former complex also showed a reduced erythrocyte aggregation activity and decreased cytotoxicities to C3 cells in comparison with PD complex.
The alginate-coated PD polyplexes as a new gene delivery system can improve transfection efficiency in high serum concentration with low cytotoxicity to C3 cells.
