• KSBB Journal
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.300-311
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• 2016

Recently gene delivery has been designed newly using bioactive biomaterial and applied in the various field by many researchers. In this study, we proposed a new gene delivery system which has the capability of targeting effect in the specific tissue and remarkably enhanced transfection efficiency. We investigated $^1H-NMR$ spectroscopy, particle size analyzer and gel retardation to confirm the correct preparation of gene delivery. Also, we identified the hemo-compatibility of gene delivery by hemolysis assay, non-cytotoxicity by MTT test and transfection efficiency. The uptake mechanism of the gene carrier was confirmed using inhibitor agent such as sodium azide, indomethacin, quercetin, colchicine, and chloropromazine. As a results, it was identified that gene carrier prepared by in this study entered in the cell by the microtubule-dependent, energy-dependent and clathrin-mediated endocytosis pathway.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.579-584
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• 2013

In this study, we synthesized functional dendrimer derivatives as nonviral gene delivery vectors. Poly(amidoamine) dendrimer (PAMAM, generation 4) was modified to possess functional amino acids to enhance gene transfection efficiency. PAMAM G4 derivatives conjugated with L-arginine (Arg) and ${\gamma}$-aminobutyric acid (GABA) showed higher transfection efficiency and lower cytotoxicity compared to the native PAMAM G4 dendrimer. The polyplex of the PAMAM G4 derivative/pDNA was evaluated using an agarose gel retardation assay and Picogreen reagent assay. Additionally, the MTT assay was performed to examine the cytotoxicity of synthesized polymers. All PAMAM G4 derivatives showed lower cytotoxicity than PEI25kD. Particularly, PAMAM G4-GABA-Arg displayed enhanced transfection efficiency compared to the native PAMAM G4 dendrimer.

• Macromolecular Research
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.348-353
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• 2006

For enhancing the gene delivery efficiency of polyplexes, a new formulation was developed using PEI conjugated Pluronic F127 copolymer as an effective additive. Low molecular weight, branched polyethylenimine Mw 600 (LMW BPEI 600) was conjugated to the terminal end of Pluronic F127. The PEI-modified Pluronic copolymers formed a micellar structure in aqueous solution, similar to that of unmodified Pluronic copolymer. PEI modification of Pluronic copolymer increased the size of micelles while concomitantly raising the critical micelle concentration (CMC). The PEI-modified Pluronic copolymer was used as a micellar additive to enhance the gene transfection efficiency of pre-formulated polyelectrolyte complex nanoparticles composed of luciferase plasmid DNA and branched PEI Mw 25k (BPEI 25k) or polylysine Mw 39k (PLL 39k). The luciferase gene expression levels were significantly enhanced by the addition of the BPEI-modified Pluronic copolymer for the two formulations of BPEl and PLL polyplexes. The results indicated that the BPEI-modified Pluronic copolymer micelles ionically interacted on the surface of DNA/BPEI (PLL) polyplexes which might facilitate cellular uptake process.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.46-52
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• 2001

To evaluate the non-ionic polymer, poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG), as a component in cationic copolymers for non-viral gene delivery systems, PEG was coupled to polyethylenimine (PEI). We present the effects of different degrees and shapes of pegylation of PEI on cytotoxicity, water solubility and transfection efficiency. This work reports the synthesis and characterization of a series of cationic copolymers on the basis of the conjugates of PEI with PEG. The modified molecules were significantly less toxic than the original polymer. Moreover, the chemical modification led to enhancement of their solubility. The comparison of pegylated PEIs with different degrees of derivation showed that all the polymers tested reached comparable levels of transgene expression to that of native PEI. As assessed by agarose gel electrophoresis, even highly substituted PEI derivatives were still able to form polyionic complexes with DNA. However, aside from an increase in solubility and retention of the ability to condense DNA, methoxy-PEG-modified PEIs resulted in a significant decrease in the transfection activity of the DNA complexes. In fact, the efficiency of the copolymer was compromised even at a low degree of modification suggesting that the PEG action resulting from its shape is important for efficient gene transfer. The mode of PEG grafting and the degree of modification influenced the transfection efficiency of PEI.

• Development and Reproduction
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.379-387
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• 2013

Embryonic stem (ES) cells can self-renew and differentiate to various cells depending on the culture condition. Although ES cells are a good model for cell type specification and can be useful for application in clinics in the future, studies on ES cells have many experimental restraints including low transfection efficiency and transgene expression. Here, we observed that transgene expression after transfection was enhanced by treatment with histone deacetylse (HDAC) inhibitors such as trichostatin A, sodium butyrate, and valproic acid. Transfection was performed using conventional transfection reagents with a retroviral vector encoding GFP under the control of CMV promoter as a reporter. Treatment of ES cells with HDAC inhibitors after transfection increased population of GFP positive cells up to 180% compared with untreated control. ES cells showed normal expression of stem cell markers after treatment with HDAC inhibitors. Transgene expression was further enhanced by modifying transfection procedure. GFP positive cells selected after transfection were proved to have the stem cell properties. Our improved protocol for enhanced gene delivery and expression in mouse ES cells without hampering ES cell properties will be useful for study and application of ES cells.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.93-99
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• 2011

Amongst a number of potential nonviral vectors, cationic liposomes have been actively researched, with both gemini surfactants and bola amphiphiles reported as being in possession of good structures in terms of cell viability and in vitro transfection. In this study, a cholesterol-based diquaternary ammonium gemini surfactant (Chol-GS) was synthesized and assessed as a novel nonviral gene vector. Chol-GS was synthesized from cholesterol by way of four reaction steps. The optimal efficiency was found to be at a weight ratio of 1:4 of lipid:DOPE (1,2-dioleoyl-L-${\alpha}$- glycero-3-phosphatidylethanolamine), and at a ratio of between 10:1~15:1 of liposome:DNA. The transfection efficiency was compared with commercial liposomes and with Lipofectamine, 1,2-dimyristyloxypropyl-3-dimethylhydroxyethylammonium bromide (DMRIE-C), and N-[1-(2,3-dioleoyloxy)propyl]-N,N,N-trimethylammonium chloride (DOTAP). The results indicate that the efficiency of Chol-GS is greater than that of all the tested commercial liposomes in COS7 and Huh7 cells, and higher than DOTAP and Lipofectamine in A549 cells. Confirmation of these findings was observed through the use of green fluorescent protein expression. Chol-GS exhibited a moderate level of cytotoxicity, at optimum concentrations for efficient transfection, indicating cell viability. Hence, the newly synthesized Chol-GS liposome has the potential of being an excellent nonviral vector for gene delivery.

• Journal of Pharmaceutical Investigation
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.263-267
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• 2004

Branched and linear polyethylenimines (PEIs) have been studied as efficient and versatile agents for gene delivery in vitro and in vivo. PEIs exist in a linear or branched topology and are available in a wide range of molecular weight (Mw). Most studies have been done using PEIs with Mw higher than 10Kd. This study was aimed to test the transfection efficiency and the cell viability following gene delivery using PEI of Mw 2Kd, a relatively lower Mw cationic polymer. We used murine interleukin-2(mIL-2) plasmid DNA complexed with branched PEI 2Kd or 25Kd, and transfected them into a myoblast muscle cell line, C2C12. The cellular uptake of mIL-2 plasmid DNA was determined using quantitative polymerase chain reaction. RNA transcript levels were studied in the myoblast cells. Our results show that PEI 2Kd was as effective as PEI 25Kd in celluar gene delivery and transfection efficiency in C2C12 cells. Moreover, MTT assay indicated that PEI 2Kd/DNA complexes did not significantly reduce the cell viability regardless of N/P ratios. These results suggest that PEI of Mw 2Kd might play a role as effective and low toxic nonviral vector systems for muscular cell lines.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.33 no.5
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• pp.1536-1540
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• 2012

Chicken primordial germ cells (cPGCs) are founder germ cells in embryonic stage of development that eventually give rise to sperms or oocytes. Currently cPGCs are only known cells enabling germline transmission in chicken and their cultivation protocols were recently established. Although genome modifications of chickens are now theoretically possible using cPGCs, there are still several hurdles to overcome to practically use cPGCs as mediators for chicken transgenesis. First, efficiency of gene delivery into cPGCs remains low with current methods. Second, there aregene silencing mechanisms against the expression of foreign genes in cPGCs. In this study, we successfully increased the efficiency of gene delivery in cPGCs by taking advantage of the TTAA-specific $piggybac$ transposon system. Moreover, a pipette-type electroporator significantly enhanced transfection efficiency up to 5-fold compared withcuvette-type methods. Taken together, the technological advances in our study will provide practical benefits for the application to fulfill genetic modifications of chicken genome.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.34 no.9
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• pp.2589-2593
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• 2013

Gene therapy using nonviral gene delivery carriers has focused on the development and modification of synthetic carriers such as liposomes and polymers. Most polymers that are commercially used are taking advantage of their polycationic character which allows not only strong ligand-DNA affinity but also competent cell penetration. Despite the relatively high transfection efficiencies, high cytotoxicity is continuously pointed out as one of the major shortcomings of polycationic polymers such as PEI. Studies on the utilization of peptides have therefore been carried out recently to overcome these problems. For these reasons, the human transcription factor Hph-1, which is currently known as a protein transduction domain (PTD), was investigated in this study to evaluate its potential as a gene delivery carrier. Although its transfection efficiency was about 10-fold lower than PEI, it displayed almost no cytotoxicity even at concentrations as high as $100{\mu}M$. Hph-1 was oxidatively polymerized to yield poly-Hph-1. The cell viability of poly-Hph-1 transfected U87MG and NIH-3T3 cells was almost as high as the control (untreated) groups, and the transfection efficiency was about 10-fold higher than PEI. This study serves as a preliminary evaluation of Hph-1 and encourages further investigation.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.25 no.6
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• pp.788-794
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• 2015

Cationic liposomes have been actively used as gene delivery vehicles despite their unsatisfactory efficiencies because of their relatively low toxicity. In this study, we designed novel heterodimeric peptides as nonviral gene delivery systems from TAT and NLS peptides using cysteine-to-cysteine disulfide bonds between the two. Mixing these heterodimeric peptides with DNA before mixing with lipofectamine resulted in higher transfection efficiencies in MCF-7 breast cancer cells than mixing unmodified TAT, NLS, and a simple mixture of TAT and NLS with DNA, but did not show an adverse effect on cell viability. In gel retardation assays, the DNA binding affinities of heterodimeric peptides were stronger than NLS but weaker than TAT. However, this enhancement was only observed when heterodimeric peptides were premixed with DNA before being mixed with lipofectamine. The described novel transfection-enhancing peptide system produced by the heterodimerization of TAT and NLS peptides followed by simple mixing with DNA, increased the gene transfer efficiency of cationic lipids without enhancing cytotoxicity.