Polymeric microcarrier for diagnostic assays and gene delivery systems

Abstract

The interaction of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) with polymeric nano- and microcarriers has attracted significant attention in the studies on DNA diagnostic assays, DNA isolation and particularly gene delivery and cancer therapy agents. Therefore, in this study, plain poly(glycerol dimethacrylate) (poly(GDMA)) and poly(dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate)-grafted poly(GDMA) microgel particles were synthesized for high single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) adsorption and desorption capacity. Temperature- and pH-sensitive uniform poly(GDMA) particles were synthesized through a two-stage procedure. A GDMA dispersion polymerization procedure was used in the first stage of the study to obtain microgel particles with approximately 900 nm size. The surface-initiated atom transfer radical polymerization procedure, a living-polymerization technique of 2-dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate (DMAEM), was used in the second stage of the study to obtain polycationic molecular brushes on microgel particles. The resulting temperature- and pH-responsive microgels were used as a sorbent for ssDNA adsorption. Compared with commonly used sorbents, reasonably high ssDNA adsorptions were achieved with the proposed sorbent. The adsorbed ssDNA was desorbed from the sorbent at a high yield. The adsorption and desorption behaviors make poly(DMAEM)-grafted poly(GDMA) microgel particles a promising carrier/sorbent for ssDNA.