Synthesis and evaluation of functional hyperbranched polyether polyols as prospected gene carriers

Hyperbranched polyether polyols have been partially functionalized with quaternary or tertiary ammonium groups. Five derivatives have been prepared bearing 4, 8 and 12 quaternary or 4 and 21 tertiary ammonium groups. The resulting dendritic polymers interact with plasmid DNA affording the corresponding polyplexes. The complexes were physicochemically characterized while their transfection ability was assessed by gel retardation assay, ethidium bromide exclusion assay and cell culture transfection. All the investigated polymers were shown to have marginal to low cytotoxicity in mammalian cells. Transfection efficiency comparable to that of polyethylenimine was exhibited by selected quaternized polymers. However, the introduction of tertiary amino groups on polyglycerol did not improve the transfection of the ineffective parent polymer, despite the fact that the derivatives obtained exhibited additional buffering capacity (sponge effect). The observed transfection efficiency for the quaternized polymers has been attributed to the destabilization of the lysosomal membrane originating from the interaction between the cationic polymers and the anionic moieties located at the membrane. These results are encouraging for the prospective application of these polyols as gene delivery vectors.