Comblike Polyethylenimine-Based Polyplexes: Balancing Toxicity, Cell Internalization, and Transfection Efficiency via...

Comblike polyethylenimines with varying degrees of polymerization of both the main and side chains as well as different grafting densities were evaluated as gene delivery vectors. They were able to condense linear and plasmid DNA into nanosized polyplex particles with dimensions and surface potentials in the 130-330 nm and -30 to +15 mV ranges, respectively, depending on the amine/phosphate (N/P) ratio. The polyplexes remained stable in aqueous and buffer solutions from several hours up to several days. The moderate colloidal stability was also manifested in a relatively broad size distribution (PDI typically above 0.2) and structural polymorphism observed by transmission electron microscopy. Both the neat polymers and polyplexes displayed low cytotoxicity in WISH cells as the relative cell viability was more than 60%. Experiments with lysosomal fluorescence staining revealed that the internalization pathways and, in turn, transfection efficiency of the polyplex nanoparticles depended on the polymer chain topology. The vector systems based on the polymers of denser structure can be considered to be promising systems for gene transfection in eukaryotic cells.