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Redox stimulus disulfide conjugated polyethyleneimine as a shuttle for gene transfer

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Abstract

Redox-responsive cationic polymers have gained considerable attention in gene delivery due to low cytotoxicity and spatio-temporal release of DNA into the cells. Here, we reported the synthesis of reducible disulfide conjugated polyethyleneimine (1.8 kDa) (denoted as SS-PEI) and its application to transfer pEGFP-ZNF580 plasmid (pZNF580) into EA.hy926 cell. This reducible SS-PEI polymer was prepared by one-step polycondensation reaction of low molecular weight PEI with bis-(p-nitrophenyl)-3,3′-dithiodipropionate. The SS-PEI successfully condensed pZNF580 into nano-sized complexes (170 ± 1.5 nm to 255 ± 1.6 nm) with zeta potentials of 3 ± 0.4 mV to 17 ± 0.9 mV. The complexes could be triggered to release pZNF580 when exposed to the reducing environment of 5 mM dithiothreitol. Besides, the SS-PEI exhibited low cytotoxicity. In vitro transfection results showed that SS-PEI exhibited good transfection efficiency comparable to PEI25kDa. Thus, the SS-PEI could act as an reducible gene carrier with good transfection efficiency and low cytotoxicity.

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Acknowledgements

This project was supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 51673145 and 51873149), National Key R&D Program of China (Grant No. 2016YFC1100300), Higher Education Department Govt. of KPK, Pakistan and Higher Education Commission, Islamabad Pakistan.

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  1. These authors contributed equally: Ihsan Ullah, Jing Zhao, Bin Su

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Yaguan Road 135, Tianjin, 300350, China

    Ihsan Ullah, Jing Zhao, Jintang Guo, Xiang-kui Ren & Yakai Feng

  2. Department of Clinical Research, Characteristic Medical Center of Chinese People’s Armed Police Force, 220 Chenglin Road, Tianjin, 300162, China

    Bin Su & Yakai Feng

  3. Department of Chemistry, School of Science, Abdul Wali Khan University, Mardan, 23200, Pakistan

    Shah Rukh

  4. Collaborative Innovation Centre of Chemical Science and Chemical Engineering (Tianjin), Weijin Road 92, Tianjin, 300072, China

    Jintang Guo & Xiang-kui Ren

  5. Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering (Ministry of Education), Tianjin University, Weijin Road 92, Tianjin, 300072, China

    Xiang-kui Ren & Yakai Feng

  6. Department of Hepatopancreatobiliary and Splenic Medicine, Affiliated Hospital, Logistics University of People’s Armed Police Force, Chenglin Road 220, Tianjin, 300162, China

    Shihai Xia

  7. Department of Physiology and Pathophysiology, Logistics University of People’s Armed Police Force, Tianjin, 300309, China

    Wencheng Zhang

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  1. Ihsan Ullah
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Ullah, I., Zhao, J., Su, B. et al. Redox stimulus disulfide conjugated polyethyleneimine as a shuttle for gene transfer. J Mater Sci: Mater Med 31, 118 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10856-020-06457-8

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