Dual bio-responsive gene delivery via reducible poly(amido amine) and survivin-inducible plasmid DNA

A bioreducible poly(amido amine) (SS-PAA) gene carrier, known as poly (amido-butanol) (pABOL), was used to transfect a variety of cancer and non-cancer cell lines. To obtain cancer-specific transgene expression for therapeutic efficiency in cancer treatment, we constructed survivin-inducible plasmid DNA expressing the soluble VEGF receptor, sFlt-1, downstream of the survivin promoter (pSUR-sFlt-1). Cancer-specific expression of sFlt-1 was observed in the mouse renal carcinoma (RENCA) cell line. pABOL enhanced the efficiency of gene delivery compared to traditional carriers used in the past. Thus, a dual bio-responsive gene delivery system was developed by using bioreducible p(ABOL) for enhanced intracellular gene delivery and survivin-inducible gene expression system (pSUR-sFlt-1 or pSUR-Luc reporter gene) that demonstrates increased gene expression in cancer that has advantages over current gene delivery systems.