Abstract
In the present study, galactosylated chitosan (Gal-CS) was conjugated with methoxy poly(ethylene glycol) (mPEG) as a hydrophilic group. The structure of Gal-CS-mPEG polymer was characterized and the nanoparticles (NPs) were prepared using ironic gelation method. The study was designed to investigate the characteristics and functions of Gal-CS-mPEG NPs. The morphology of Gal-CS-mPEG NPs was observed by SEM and it was a compact and spherical shape. The size of the NPs was approximately 200 nm in diameter under the ideal process parameters. The interaction between Gal-CS-mPEG NPs and pDNA, and the protection of pDNA against DNase I and serum degradation by Gal-CS-mPEG NPs were evaluated. Agarose gel electrophoresis results showed that Gal-CS-mPEG NPs had strong interaction with pDNA at the weight ratio of 12:1, 4:1 and 2:1 and could protect pDNA from DNase I and serum degradation. Gal-CS-mPEG NPs exhibited high loading efficiency and sustainable in vitro release. The blood compatibility studies demonstrated that Gal-CS-mPEG NPs had superior compatibility with erythrocytes in terms of aggregation degree and hemolysis level. Gal-CS-mPEG NPs showed no cytotoxicity on L929 cells, which is a normal mouse connective tissue fibroblast, but showed inhibitory effects on the proliferation of Bel-7402 cells, which is a liver cancer cell line. In conclusion, Gal-CS-mPEG NP is a bio-safe and efficient gene carrier with potential application in gene delivery.
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This study was financially supported by the National ‘12th Five-year’ High technology Research and Development Program of China (No. 2014AA093605) and the Zhejiang Science and Technology Project (No. 2013C 33192).
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Jin, J., Fu, W., Liao, M. et al. Construction and characterization of Gal-chitosan graft methoxy poly (ethylene glycol) (Gal-CS-mPEG) nanoparticles as efficient gene carrier. J. Ocean Univ. China 16, 873–881 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11802-017-3253-4
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11802-017-3253-4