Synthesis of Water-Soluble Imidazolium Polyesters as Potential Nonviral Gene Delivery Vehicles

Biomacromolecules. 2017 Jan 9;18(1):68-76. doi: 10.1021/acs.biomac.6b01316. Epub 2016 Dec 8.

Abstract

The inherent hydrolytic reactivity of polyesters renders them excellent candidates for a variety of biomedical applications. Incorporating ionic groups further expands their potential impact, encompassing charge-dependent function such as deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) binding, antibacterial properties, and pH-responsiveness. Catalyst-free and solvent-free polycondensation of a bromomethyl imidazolium-containing (BrMeIm) diol with neopentylglycol (NPG) and adipic acid (AA) afforded novel charged copolyesters with pendant imidazolium sites. Varying ionic content influenced thermal properties and offered a wide-range, -41 to 40 °C, of composition-dependent glass transition temperatures (Tgs). In addition to desirable melt and thermal stability, polyesters with ionic concentrations ≥15 mol % readily dispersed in water, suggesting potential as nonviral gene delivery vectors. An electrophoretic gel shift assay confirmed the novel cationic copolyesters successfully bound DNA at an N/P ratio of 4 for 50 mol % and 75 mol % charged copolyesters (P(NA50-co-ImA50) and P(NA25-co-ImA75)), and an N/P ratio of 5 for 100 mol % Im (PImA). Polyplexes exhibited insignificant cytotoxicity even at high concentrations (200 μg/mL), and a Luciferase transfection assay revealed the ionic (co)polyesters transfected DNA significantly better than the untreated controls. The successful transfection of these novel (co)polyesters inspires future imidazolium-containing polyester design.

Publication types

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

MeSH terms

  • Cell Survival / drug effects
  • Gene Transfer Techniques*
  • HeLa Cells
  • Humans
  • Hydrolysis
  • Imidazoles / chemistry*
  • Luciferases / metabolism
  • Polyesters / chemical synthesis*
  • Polyesters / pharmacology*
  • Solubility
  • Solvents
  • Transfection
  • Water / chemistry*

Substances

  • Imidazoles
  • Polyesters
  • Solvents
  • Water
  • Luciferases