Cationic low molecular weight polymers for gene transfer: cytotoxicity and transfection efficiency

摘要

A variety of approaches to transfer DNA into mammalian cells for experimental or therapeutic purposes have been developed including viral and non-viral techniques. Polyethylenimine (PEI), a branched polymer with a high cationic charge density potential attracts special interest due to its substantial lysosomal buffering capacity that protects DNA from lysosomal degradation. Although commerically available HMW-PEIs (25-800 kDa) have successfully been used for in vitro and in vivo gene delivery, their high cytotoxicity and probably accumulation during in vivo application limit the use of these polymers. Therefore, we synthesized a new LMW-PEI (2 kDa) and investigated its cytotoxicity profile, capability of forming complexes with DNA and the in vitro transfection efficiancy compared to HMW-PEI.