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Chu Z, Li Z, Yong H, Che D, Li B, Yan C, Zhou T, Wang X, Feng Y, Guo K, Geng S. Enhanced gene transfection and induction of apoptosis in melanoma cells by branched poly(β-amino ester)s with uniformly distributed branching units. J Control Release 2024; 367:197-208. [PMID: 38246205 DOI: 10.1016/j.jconrel.2024.01.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2023] [Revised: 01/05/2024] [Accepted: 01/13/2024] [Indexed: 01/23/2024]
Abstract
Melanoma, one of the most devastating forms of skin cancer, currently lacks effective clinical treatments. Delivery of functional genes to modulate specific protein expression to induce melanoma cell apoptosis could be a promising therapeutic approach. However, transfecting melanoma cells using non-viral methods, particularly with cationic polymers, presents significant challenges. In this study, we synthesized three branched poly(β-amino ester)s (HPAEs) with evenly distributed branching units but varying space lengths through a two-step "oligomer combination" strategy. The unique topological structure enables HPAEs to condense DNA to form nano-sized polyplexes with favorable physiochemical properties. Notably, HPAEs, especially HPAE-2 with intermediate branching unit space length, demonstrated significantly higher gene transfection efficiency than the leading commercial gene transfection reagent, jetPRIME, in human melanoma cells. Furthermore, HPAE-2 efficiently delivered the Bax-encoding plasmid into melanoma cells, leading to a pronounced pro-apoptotic effect without causing noticeable cytotoxicity. This study establishes a potent non-viral platform for gene transfection of melanoma cells by harnessing the distribution of branching units, paving the way for potential clinical applications of gene therapy in melanoma treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhaowei Chu
- Department of Dermatology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710061, China
| | - Zhili Li
- School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710049, China.
| | - Haiyang Yong
- School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710049, China
| | - Delu Che
- Department of Dermatology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710061, China
| | - Bingjie Li
- Department of Dermatology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710061, China
| | - Cong Yan
- Department of Dermatology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710061, China
| | - Tong Zhou
- Department of Dermatology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710061, China
| | - Xi Wang
- Department of Dermatology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710061, China
| | - Yuqing Feng
- Department of Dermatology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710061, China
| | - Kun Guo
- Department of Dermatology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710061, China
| | - Songmei Geng
- Department of Dermatology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710061, China.
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