Because of the complex mechanisms mediating cancer onset, prognosis, and metastatic behavior, different therapeutic approaches targeting these mechanisms have been investigated. Recent advancements in nanocarrier-based drug and gene delivery methods have encouraged scientific groups to investigate various novel therapeutic techniques. In this study, a poly(amidoamine) (PAMAM) polymer-based gene carrier containing the cathepsin B-enzyme sensitive sequence (glycine-phenylalanine-leucine-glycine, GFLG) was evaluated to determine transfection efficiency. Following the GFLG sequence, the surface of PAMAM generation 4 (G4) was conjugated with histidine (H) and arginine (R) for improved endosomal escape and cellular uptake, respectively. The successful synthesis of G4-GLFG-H-R was confirmed by ¹H-nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. The polyplex composed of G4-GLFG-H-R and pDNA was simulated by the enzyme cathepsin B and induced endosomal escape of pDNA, which was confirmed by gel electrophoresis. Compared with the G4 control, enzyme-sensitive G4-GLFG-H-R showed higher transfection efficiency and lower cytotoxicity in HeLa cells. These results demonstrated that G4-GLFG-H-R may be a highly potent and efficient carrier for gene therapy applications.
Keywords: GFLG peptide; arginine; cathepsin B; gene delivery; histidine; poly(amidoamine) dendrimer; polyplex.