The balance between hydrophilic and hydrophobic components plays an important role in polymeric delivery of nucleic acids. Besides using hydrophobic moieties in the polymer design, fluorination is a promising method to increase the hydrophobicity of polymers. To systematically investigate this effect,…
London: The Royal Society of Chemistry, 2025-03-25
Polyoxazolines have long been considered as promising alternatives to poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) due to their comparable properties, in particular regarding their stealth effect toward the immune system. Lipid nanoparticles (LNPs), as utilized, e.g., in the COVID‐19 vaccines, contain PEG‐lipids. However,…
The efficient delivery of nucleic acids into target cells has enabled genome-wide therapies like gene silencing, editing, and expression. Yet, nucleic acids are highly susceptible to degradation by nucleases and may trigger immune responses. Ideal gene carriers must protect genetic material, traverse…
Due to the increasing challenges posed by the growing immunity to poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG), there is growing interest in innovative polymer‐based materials as viable alternatives. In this study, the advantages of lipids and polymers are combined to allow efficient and rapid cytoplasmic drug delivery.…
Ideas concerning the conceptual existence of macromolecular and colloidal systems found their inception at the beginning of the last century. The experimental technology developed to discover and characterize those systems can be associated with seminal pioneers laying the foundations for microscopic,…
Abstract Polymeric nanoparticles (NPs) with an integrated dual delivery system enable the controlled release of bioactive molecules and drugs, providing therapeutic advantages. Key design targets include high biocompatibility, cellular uptake, and encapsulating efficiency. In this study, a polymer library…
Gene therapy is pivotal in nanomedicine, offering a versatile approach to disease treatment. This study aims to achieve an optimal balance between biocompatibility and efficacy, which is a common challenge in the field. A copolymer library is synthesized, incorporating niacin-derived monomers 2-acrylamidoethyl…
In the field of gene delivery, hydrophobic cationic copolymers hold great promise. They exhibit improved performance by effectively protecting genetic material from serum interactions while facilitating interactions with cellular membranes. However, managing cytotoxicity remains a significant challenge,…
The COVID‐19 mRNA vaccines represent a milestone in developing non‐viral gene carriers, and their success highlights the crucial need for continued research in this field to address further challenges. Polymer‐based delivery systems are particularly promising due to their versatile chemical structure…
The arrangement of charged segments in triblock copolymer micelles affects the gene delivery potential of polymeric micelles and can increase the level of gene expression when an anionic segment is incorporated in the outer shell. Triblock copolymers were synthesized by RAFT polymerzation with narrow…
Washington, DC: American Chemical Society, 2024-01-17
Acrylate and acrylamide based block copolymers with cationic, anionic, hydrophilic and hydrophobic functional groups were synthesized via RAFT polymerization and assembled into micelles. The combination of different functional groups in one block copolymer composition and by mixing different (block)…
Abstract Branched poly(ethylene imine) (bPEI) is frequently used in RNA interference (RNAi) experiments as a cationic polymer for the delivery of small interfering RNA (siRNA) because of its ability to form stable polyplexes that facilitate siRNA uptake. However, the use of bPEI in gene delivery is limited…
Cationic pH‐responsive polymers promise to overcome critical challenges in cellular delivery. Ideally, the polymers become selectively charged along the endosomal pathway disturbing only the local membrane and avoiding unintended interactions or cytotoxic side effects at physiological conditions. Polypiperazines…
There is high interest in the therapeutic delivery of nucleic acids, as it offers considerable potential for the treatment of genetic diseases, cancer therapy and vaccination. Due to their degradable and highly charged nature, suitable carriers are required for delivery of nucleic acids into targeted…
Crossing the cellular membrane and delivering active pharmaceuticals or biologicals into the cytosol of cells is an essential step in the development of nanomedicines. One of the most important intracellular processes regarding the cellular uptake of biologicals is the endolysosomal pathway. Sophisticated…
Abstract Cationic non-viral vectors show great potential to introduce genetic material into cells, due to their ability to transport large amounts of genetic material and their high synthetic versatility. However, designing materials that are effective without showing toxic effects or undergoing non-specific…
Cationic polymers with different backbones were characterized regarding their performance at different steps of the gene delivery process. The interaction with plasmid DNA (pDNA), cytotoxicity, uptake of pDNA, endosomal escape and protein expression in different cell lines were investigated using methods…
Cationic polymers have been widely studied for non-viral gene delivery due to their ability to bind genetic material and to interact with cellular membranes. However, their charged nature carries the risk of increased cytotoxicity and interaction with serum proteins, limiting their potential in vivo…
Although there has been substantial progress in the research field of gene delivery, there are some challenges remaining, e.g. there are still cell types such as primary cells and suspension cells (immune cells) known to be difficult to transfect. Cationic polymers have gained increasing attention due…