Cationic, amphiphilic copolymer micelles as nucleic acid carriers for enhanced transfection in rat spinal cord.

ABSTRACT: Spinal cord injury commonly leads to permanent motor and sensory deficits due to the limited regenerative capacity of the adult central nervous system (CNS). Nucleic acid-based therapy is a promising strategy to deliver bioactive molecules capable of promoting axonal regeneration. Branched polyethylenimine (bPEI: 25kDa) is one of the most widely studied nonviral vectors, but its clinical application has been limited due to its cytotoxicity and low transfection efficiency in the presence of serum proteins. In this study, we synthesized cationic amphiphilic copolymers, poly (lactide-co-glycolide)-graft-polyethylenimine (PgP), by grafting low molecular weight PLGA (4kDa) to bPEI (25kDa) at approximately a 3:1 ratio as an efficient nonviral vector. We show that PgP micelle is capable of effici

SUBMITTER: Gwak SJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4829463 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature