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Abstract: Although polymers, polyplexes, and cells are exposed to various extracellular and intracellular pH environments during polyplex preparation and polymeric transfection, the impact of environmental pH on polymeric transfection has not yet been investigated. This study aims to understand the influence of environmental pH on polymeric transfection by modulating the pH of the transfection medium or the culture medium. Changes in the extracellular pH affected polymeric transfection by way of complex factors such as pH-induced changes in polymer characteristics (e.g., proton buffering capacity and ionization), polyplex characteristics (e.g., size, surface charge, and decomplexation), and cellular characteristics (e.g., cellular uptake, cell cycle phases, and intracellular pH environment). Notably, acidic medium delayed endocytosis, endosomal acidification, cytosolic release, and decomplexation of polyplexes, thereby negatively affecting gene expression. However, acidic medium inhibited mitosis and reduced dilution of gene expression, resulting in increased transfection efficiency. Compared to pH 7.4 medium, acidic transfection medium reduced gene expression 1.6–7.7-fold whereas acidic culture medium enhanced transfection efficiency 2.1–2.6-fold. Polymeric transfection was affected more by the culture medium than by the transfection medium. Understanding the effects of extracellular pH during polymeric transfection may stimulate new strategies for determining effective and safe polymeric gene carriers. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This study investigated the potential of creating a charged polymeric micelle-based nucleic acid delivery system that could easily be reconstituted by the addition of water. (PLGA36kDa)2-b-bPEI25kDa (PLGA MW 36 kDa, bPEI Mw 25 kDa, PLGA:bPEI block ratio = 2) was synthesized and used to prepare cationic micelles. The copolymer retained proton-buffering capability from the bPEI block within the endosomal pH range. Micelle/pDNA complexes retained their particle size (100–150 nm) and surface charge (30–40 mV) following reconstitution. It was found that adding a small amount of low molecular weight bPEI (1.8 kDa) completely shielded pDNA in the micelle/pDNA complexes and enhanced transfection efficiency 50–100 fold for both fresh and reconstituted complexes without affecting complex size. Transfection efficiency for “reconstituted” micelle/pDNA/bPEI1.8kDa (WR 1) complexes was 16-fold higher than its “fresh” counterpart. Although transfection levels achieved using “reconstituted” micelle/pDNA/bPEI1.8kDa complexes were 3.6-fold lower than control “fresh” bPEI25kDa/pDNA (N/P 5) complexes, transfection levels were 39-fold higher than “reconstituted” bPEI25kDa/pDNA (N/P 5) complexes. The micelle/pDNA/bPEI1.8kDa system showed very low cytotoxicity in MCF7 cells even with pDNA doses up to 20 μg, and transfection levels increased linearly with increasing pDNA dose. These results indicate that this PLGA-b-bPEI polymeric micelle-based system is well suited as a reconstitutable gene delivery system, and has high potential for use as a delivery system for gene therapy applications. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: To improve transfection efficiency and reduce the cytotoxicity of polymeric gene vectors, reducible polycations (RPC) were synthesized from low molecular weight (MW) branched polyethyleneimine (bPEI) via thiolation and oxidation. RPC (RPC-bPEI0.8 kDa) possessed MW of 5 kDa–80 kDa, and 50%–70% of the original proton buffering capacity of bPEI0.8 kDa was preserved in the final product. The cytotoxicity of RPC-bPEI0.8 kDa was 8–19 times less than that of the gold standard of polymeric transfection reagents, bPEI25 kDa. Although bPEI0.8 kDa exhibited poor gene condensing capacities (∼2 μm at a weight ratio (WR) of 40), RPC-bPEI0.8 kDa effectively condensed plasmid DNA (pDNA) at a WR of 2. Moreover, RPC-bPEI0.8 kDa/pDNA (WR ≥2) formed 100–200 nm-sized particles with positively charged surfaces (20–35 mV). In addition, the results of the present study indicated that thiol/polyanions triggered the release of pDNA from RPC-bPEI0.8 kDa/pDNA via the fragmentation of RPC-bPEI0.8 kDa and ion-exchange. With negligible polyplex-mediated cytotoxicity, the transfection efficiencies of RPC-bPEI0.8 kDa/pDNA were approximately 1200–1500-fold greater than that of bPEI0.8 kDa/pDNA and were equivalent or superior (∼7-fold) to that of bPEI25 kDa/pDNA. Interestingly, the distribution of high MW RPC-bPEI0.8 kDa/pDNA in the nucleus of the cell was higher than that of low MW RPC-bPEI0.8 kDa/pDNA. Thus, the results of the present study suggest that RPC-bPEI0.8 kDa has the potential to effectively deliver genetic materials with lower levels of toxicity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: While multidrug resistance (MDR) has been a significant issue in cancer chemotherapy, delivery resistance to various anti-cancer biotherapeutics, including genes, has not been widely recognized as a property of MDR. This study aims to provide a better understanding of the transfection characteristics of drug-sensitive and drug-resistant cells by tracing microenvironmental pHs of two representative polymer vectors: poly(l-lysine) and polyethyleneimine. Drug-sensitive breast MCF7 cells had four- to seven-times higher polymeric transfection efficiencies than their counterpart drug-resistant MCF7/ADR-RES cells. Polyplexes in MCF7/ADR-RES cells after endocytosis were exposed to a more acidic microenvironment than those in MCF7 cells; the MDR cells show faster acidification rates in endosomes/lysosomes than the drug-sensitive cells after endocytosis (in the case of PLL/pDNA complexes, ∼ pH 5.1 for MCF7/ADR-RES cells vs. ∼ pH 6.8 for MCF7 cells at 0.5 h post-transfection). More polyplexes were identified trapped in acidic subcellular compartments of MCF7/ADR-RES cells than in MCF7 cells, suggesting that they lack endosomal escaping activity. These findings demonstrate that the design of polymer-based gene delivery therapeutics should take into account the pH of subcellular compartments. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The use of genetically modified islets is a potential strategy for overcoming pitfalls that currently plague islet transplantation. This study employed functional polymeric vectors specifically designed to transfect insulin-secreting cells and results were compared to various non-viral vectors. The evaluation included transfection efficiency, experimental condition effects, gross morphological observation, cytotoxicity, apoptosis, gene distribution in treated islets, insulin secretion function and time-dependent gene expression pattern. Observations from this study suggest that 1) the experimental conditions for islet transfection should be optimized, 2) the cytotoxicity of sulfonylurea containing vectors differs between the RINm5F cell line and primary pancreatic islets, 3) the non-viral vectors were primarily located in the peripheral region of an islet where the initial cell toxicity/apoptosis was apparent, 4) the genetic modification of pancreatic islets with genes for secretory proteins is more feasible than for residing proteins, and 5) the gene construct selection may prolong the gene expression period and oscillating pattern as demonstrated in this study. This study provides some fundamental background information that will aid in further designing polymeric gene vectors for the optimal manipulation of pancreatic islets prior to transplantation. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Polyethyleneimine (PEI)-g-All-trans-retinoic acid (ATRA) (designated as PRA) was synthesized as a gene carrier. ATRA at its low concentration is known to be linked to nuclear translocation and cell cycle control (either proliferation or growth arrest) depending on its binding protein in cells. The cytotoxicity of PRA conjugates was lower than that of PEI and was gradually reduced as increasing ATRA graft ratios. The resulting nanosized and positively charged PRA/pDNA complexes showed lower transfection efficiency than the PEI/pDNA complexes (N/P=10) against NIH3T3 which is less sensitive to ATRA in cell growth and more sensitive HeLa cells. However, when a mixed gene complex of PEI and PRA was applied in an effort to reduce the ATRA contents, their NIH3T3 transfection evidenced effective nuclear translocation and induced 2- to 4-fold better transfection efficiency as compared with the PEI/pDNA complexes. When the PEI/pDNA complexes were utilized to transfect HeLa cells, free ATRA treatment reduced their cellular uptake and transfection efficiency. These findings show that the NIH3T3 cells against ATRA-mediated growth arrest would not damage the PRA-mediated transfection enhancement resulting from the facilitated nuclear translocation of polyplexes or pDNA. The more ATRA-sensitivity in growth arrest of HeLa cells would reduce the transfection efficiency of ATRA-incorporated polyplexes. The transfection capability of gene by newly synthesized PRA conjugates to cells is differentiated by their ATRA-sensitivity to nuclear translocation and cell growth control. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: For long-term, sustained protein delivery, a new, star-shaped block copolymer composed of methoxy poly(ethylene glycol) (mPEG), branched oligoethylenimine (bOEI), and poly(l-histidine) (pHis) was synthesized via the multi-initiation and ring-opening polymerization (ROP) of His N-carboxy anhydride (NCA) on bOEI with a PEG conjugation. The resulting mPEG-bOEI-pHis (POH) had strong buffering capacity within the neutral-to-acidic pH range and was complexed with insulin (Ins) via an electrostatic attraction plus hydrophobic interactions, resulting in the formation of a dual-interaction complex (DIC, weight ratio 2) of approximately 30–60 nm in size. This DIC tolerated high salt concentrations without destabilization, supporting the existence of hydrophobic interactions, and protected Ins from the organic solvent/water interface. The DIC in poly(lactide-co-glycolide) microspheres (PLGA MS) as a long-term Ins delivery formulation was evenly distributed via a double-emulsion method. The DIC-loaded PLGA MS offered a higher Ins loading and a lower initial burst than Ins-loaded PLGA MS. This formulation possessed near zero-order release kinetics (for at least one month). In streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rats, a DIC-loaded PLGA MS formulation was able to maintain blood-glucose levels at 200–350 mg/dL for the first two weeks and even lower levels (100–200 mg/dL) for the next two weeks. Thus, a new POH polymer and its complex with a drug protein could have potential biological application as a long-term, sustained protein delivery system. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Due to increasing safety and intracellular delivery concerns about hydrophilic polymers in amphiphilic polymer-based nanoparticles (NPs), this study investigates small hydrophilic molecule-stabilized NPs for effective intracellular delivery with multiorganelle targetability and dual responsiveness to acidic pH/glutathione (GSH). In the construction of small hydrophilic molecule-stabilized NP (MSPCL-NP), the A-B-A-type amphiphilic polymer (MSPCL-P) is composed of two short hydrophilic carboxylate-capped disulfide derivatives (A) that replace hydrophilic polymers and assist in providing colloidal stability and preventing antibody (e.g., at least anti-PEG antibody)-mediated specific interactions and complement activation in the plasma and a hydrophobic multiple disulfide-containing poly(ε-caprolactone) block (B) that carries hydrophobic drugs. The carboxylates on the surface of MSPCL-NP target the acidic extratumoral/endolysosomal milieu by sensing and buffering acidic pH values, and the hydrophobic carboxylic acids improve adsorptive endocytosis and effective endosomal escape. Multiple disulfide linkages selectively target cytosolic GSH, resulting in rapid drug release from the destroyed MSPCL-NP via the cleavage of disulfide bonds in MSPCL-P. Doxorubicin (DOX)-loaded NP (DOX@MSPCL-NP) exerts strong effects on killing cells in vitro and inhibits tumor growth in HCT116 xenograft tumor-bearing mice. In conclusion, the multifunctionality and multispatial targetability of MSPCL-NP might effectively overcome various sequential drug delivery hurdles, ranging from blood circulation to drug release. Furthermore, the introduction of small hydrophilic molecules represents a potential strategy to make self-assembled NPs without the use of hydrophilic polymers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]