Poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate)-b-poly(L-Lysine) cationic hybrid materials for non-viral gene delivery in NIH 3T3 mouse embryonic fibroblasts.

In order to develop efficient and nontoxic gene delivery vectors, a series of biocompatible block copolymers, poly[(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate)40 -block-(L-lysine)n ] (n = 40, 80, 120, 150), are prepared by combining an atom transfer radical polymerization of 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate with a ring-opening polymerization of N(ϵ) -(carbobenzoxy)-L-lysine N-carboxyanhydride. The block copolymers are successfully condensed with plasmid DNA (pDNA) into nanosized (<200 nm) polyplexes. As a representative sample, p(HEMA)40 -b-p(lys)150 is utilized to confirm the effective cellular and nuclear uptake of pDNA. The polymer/pDNA polyplexes exhibit very low cytotoxicity and enhanced transfection activity by being easily taken up into mouse embryonic fibroblast cell line (NIH 3T3). Thus, the chimeric block copolymers provide a means for developing versatile nonviral gene vectors harboring the ideal requirements of low cytotoxicity, good stability, and high transfection efficiency for gene therapy.