Injectable, Guest-Host Assembled Polyethylenimine Hydrogel for siRNA Delivery

Biomacromolecules. 2017 Jan 9;18(1):77-86. doi: 10.1021/acs.biomac.6b01378. Epub 2016 Dec 20.

Abstract

While siRNA has tremendous potential for therapeutic applications, advancement is limited by poor delivery systems. Systemically, siRNAs are rapidly degraded, may have off-target silencing, and necessitate high working concentrations. To overcome this, we developed an injectable, guest-host assembled hydrogel between polyethylenimine (PEI) and polyethylene glycol (PEG) for local siRNA delivery. Guest-host modified polymers assembled with siRNAs to form polyplexes that had improved transfection and viability compared to PEI. At higher concentrations, these polymers assembled into shear-thinning hydrogels that rapidly self-healed. With siRNA encapsulation, the assemblies eroded as polyplexes which were active and transfected cells, observed by Cy3-siRNA uptake or GFP silencing in vitro. When injected into rat myocardium, the hydrogels localized polyplex release, observed by uptake of Cy5.5-siRNA and silencing of GFP for 1 week in a GFP-expressing rat. These results illustrate the potential for this system to be applied for therapeutic siRNA delivery, such as in cardiac pathologies.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Drug Delivery Systems*
  • Gene Silencing*
  • Gene Transfer Techniques
  • Green Fluorescent Proteins / antagonists & inhibitors
  • Green Fluorescent Proteins / genetics
  • Hydrogel, Polyethylene Glycol Dimethacrylate / administration & dosage*
  • Hydrogel, Polyethylene Glycol Dimethacrylate / chemistry
  • Male
  • Myocardium / cytology
  • Myocardium / metabolism*
  • Polyethyleneimine / chemistry*
  • Polymers / administration & dosage*
  • Polymers / chemistry
  • RNA, Small Interfering / genetics*
  • Rats
  • Rats, Wistar

Substances

  • Polymers
  • RNA, Small Interfering
  • Green Fluorescent Proteins
  • Hydrogel, Polyethylene Glycol Dimethacrylate
  • Polyethyleneimine