Blood compatibility of novel water soluble hyperbranched polyglycerol-based multivalent cationic polymers and their interaction with DNA

A novel class of hyperbranched polymers based on polyglycerol (PG) and poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) are synthesized by multibranching anionic ring opening polymerization. Multivalent cationic sites are added to these polymers by a post-amination and quarternization reactions. Blood compatibility studies using these polymers at different concentrations showed insignificant effects on complement activation, platelet activation, coagulation, erythrocyte aggregation and hemolysis compared to branched cationic polyethyleneimine (PEI). The degree of quarternization does not have large influence on the blood compatibility of the new polymers. Cytotoxicity of these polymers is significantly lower than that of PEI and is a function of quarternized nitrogen present in the polymer. Also, these polymers bind DNA in the nanomolar range and are able to condense DNA to highly compact, stable, water soluble nanoparticles in the range of 60–80 nm. Gel electrophoresis studies showed that they form electroneutral complexes with DNA around N/P ratio 1 irrespective of the percentage of quarternization under the conditions studied.