Nanomedicine: Nanotechnology, Biology and Medicine
Volume 3, Issue 3 , Pages 184-191, September 2007

Characteristics of DEAE-dextran-MMA graft copolymer as a nonviral gene carrier

  • Yasuhiko Onishi, DSc

      Affiliations

    • School of Engineering, Nippon Bunri University, Oita, Japan
    • Corresponding Author InformationCorresponding author. Ryujyu Science Co., 39–4, Kosora-cho, Seto 489–0842, Japan.
    • ,
  • Yuki Eshita, PhD

      Affiliations

    • Department of Infectious Diseases, Faculty of Medicine, Oita University, Oita, Japan
    • ,
  • Aya Murashita

      Affiliations

    • Department of Medical Electronics, Suzuka University of Medical Science, Suzuka, Japan
    • ,
  • Masaaki Mizuno, MD, PhD

      Affiliations

    • Department of Neurosurgery, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan
    • ,
  • Jun Yoshida, MD, PhD

      Affiliations

    • Department of Neurosurgery, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan

Received 15 December 2006; accepted 10 July 2007.

Abstract 

A stable and soapless latex of diethylaminoethyl-dextran-methyl methacrylate (DEAE-dextran-MMA) graft copolymer (DDMC) has been developed for nonviral gene delivery vectors that are possible to autoclave. DDMC relatively easily formed a polyion complex between DNA and DDMC by the hydrophobic force of graft poly(MMA) depending on its large positive entropy change (ΔS). DDMC has been confirmed as having a high protection facility for DNase by DNase degradation test.Transfection activity was determined using the β-galactosidase assay, and a higher value of 16 times or more was confirmed for the DDMC samples in comparison with one of the starting DEAE-dextran hydrochloride samples. The resulting DDMC, having an amphiphilic domain so as to form a polymer micelle, should become a stable latex with a hydrophilic-hydrophobic microseparated domain. The complex of DDMC and plasmid DNA may be formed on the spherical structure of the amphiphilic microseparated domain of DDMC and have a good affinity to the cell membrane. The infrared absorption spectrum shift to a high-energy direction at around 3450 cm–1, because of the complexes between DNA and DDMC, may cause the formation of more compact structures, not only by a coulomb force between the phosphoric acid of DNA and the DEAE group of DEAE-dextran copolymer but also by a force from the multi-intermolecule hydrogen bond in the backbone polymer DEAE-dextran and a hydrophobic force from the graft poly(MMA) in DDMC. It is thus concluded that DNA condensation may possibly have a high transfection efficiency via DDMC. The high efficiency of this graft copolymer, which is sterilized by an autoclave, may thus make it a valuable tool for safe gene delivery.

Key words: Nonviral gene delivery, 2-diethylaminoethyl (DEAE)-dextran-MMA graft copolymer, Transfection, DNA, Intracellular transport

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 No conflict of interest was reported by the authors of this paper.

PII: S1549-9634(07)00092-5

doi:10.1016/j.nano.2007.07.002

Nanomedicine: Nanotechnology, Biology and Medicine
Volume 3, Issue 3 , Pages 184-191, September 2007

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