Polycationic star polymers with hyperbranched cores for gene delivery

Core-shell type stars synthesized via atom transfer radical polymerization were used for the delivery of nucleic acids. The interior of the stars consisted of hyperbranched poly(arylene oxindole), while the arms were composed of poly(N,N-dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate). The length of the star arms varied in degree of polymerization (DP) from 14 to 98. The hydrodynamic radius of the structures measured in water indicated the presence of small aggregates, while isolated stars ranging in size from 14 to 29 nm were seen in organic solvent. The phase transition temperatures of the stars in water, measured in basic conditions, were shifted to lower values with increasing DP of the arms. Stable polyplexes of stars with plasmid DNA were formed. Their size varied from 300 nm to 400 nm, depending upon the DP of arms. The zeta potential of the polyplexes was positive, which facilitated their cellular uptake. The DP of the arms influenced the transfection efficiency of HT-1080 cells, demonstrating that stars are promising candidates for synthetic gene vectors.