Photosensitive Poly-l-lysine/Heparin Interpolyelectrolyte Complexes for Delivery of Genetic Drugs

Abstract

Photo-triggered release of biopharmaceutical drugs inside the cells is a challenging direction of modern science, which requires obtaining new polymeric systems. The interpolyelectrolyte complexes (IPECs) of poly-l-lysine with heparin capable of encapsulation of genetic constructions—such as model oligonucleotide, siRNA, and pDNA—were obtained. Poly-l-lysine to heparin ratios were optimized to provide the appropriate release kinetics of genetic material from the polyplex. In order to impart the obtained IPEC with photosensitive properties, the linker was synthesized as based on 4-brommethyl-3-nitrobenzoic acid. The conditions and kinetics of photosensitive linker destruction were carefully studied. The colloid particles of IPEC were modified with Cy3 probe and their cellular internalization was investigated by flow cytometry method. The efficacy of photosensitive IPECs as siRNA and pDNA delivery system was evaluated.