A Core–Shell Polyethyleneimine-Mediated Apoptosis-Related Gene Delivery for Anti-Tumor Therapy

Abstract

An apoptosis-related gene loaded to the core–shell delivery system has been fabricated to give effective tumor therapy. The gene delivery system consists of the hydrophobic poly (methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) and plasmid DNA (pDNA) loaded branched polyethyleneimine (PEI). The BBC3 gene is related to cell apoptosis and constructed in the mammal plasmid vector under the CMV promoter for overexpression. The amphiphilic PEI-PMMA nanoparticle (NP) has been developed as a DNA loaded carrier of low cytotoxicity and enhanced stability. The average NP size was 330[Formula: see text]nm with a narrow distribution. The [Formula: see text][Formula: see text]mV of the zeta potential in water showed the effect of negatively charged DNA aggregation. Gel retardation assay showed the complete PEI/pDNA (N:P) binding ratio was 125:1. The MCF-7 cancer cell line was transfected with the delivery complexes, followed by the MTT assay to evaluate anti-tumor therapy. The results showed that BBC3 gene loaded PEI-PMMA complexes have significant cancer cell inhibition. Taken together, BBC3 genes expressed after 48[Formula: see text]h transfection with PEI-PMMA NPs, and this gene therapy delivery system has cancer cells inhibition as low as 8[Formula: see text][Formula: see text]g/mL in vitro.