Biodegradable Poly(aminoester)-Mediated p53 Gene Delivery for Cancer Therapy

Gene therapy is a promising strategy in cancer treatment. However, efficient gene translation still remains challenging. In the previous work, a hydrolytically degradable poly(aminoester) with good biocompatibility was synthesized. Herein, the poly(aminoester) was explored as a vector for gene delivery and cancer therapy. The experiments revealed that the poly(aminoester) condensed plasmid DNA into nanosized particles via electrostatic interaction. The pEGFP-N1 and pGL-3 were first used as two reporter genes to study intracellular transfection. The poly(aminoester) showed higher GFP expression (33%) than PEI 25 kDa (21%). Intracellular trafficking of Cy3-labelled pGL-3 also indicated that the poly(aminoester) showed superior DNA delivery ability to nucleus compared to PEI 25 kDa. Furthermore, the therapeutic gene (p53) was translated into the breast cancer cell line (MCF-7), and then induced cell apoptosis. These results suggested that the degradable poly(aminoester) is a promising and efficient gene delivery vector for gene therapeutic applications.