title: Effect of introduction of chondroitin sulfate into polymer-peptide conjugate responding to intracellular signals.
abstract: We recently developed a novel tumor-targeted gene delivery system responding to hyperactivated intracellular signals. Polymeric carrier for gene delivery consists of hydrophilic neutral polymer as main chains and cationic peptide substrate for target enzyme as side chains, and was named polymer-peptide conjugate (PPC). Introduction of chondroitin sulfate (CS), which induces receptor-medicated endocytosis, into polymers mainly with a high cationic charge density such as polyethylenimine can increase tumor-targeted gene delivery. In the present study, we examined whether introduction of CS into PPC containing five cationic amino acids can increase gene expression in tumor cells. Size and zeta potential of plasmid DNA (pDNA)/PPC/CS complex were <200 nm and between -10 and -15 mV, respectively. In tumor cell experiments, pDNA/PPC/CS complex showed lower stability and gene regulation, compared with that of pDNA/PPC. Moreover, no difference in gene expression was identified between positive and negative polymer. These results were caused by fast disintegration of pDNA/PPC/CS complexes in the presence of serum. Thus, we suggest that introduction of negatively charged CS into polymers with a low charge density may lead to low stability and gene regulation of complexes.
authors.affiliation: Graduate School of Systems Life Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka 819-0395, Japan. ykatatcm@mail.cstm.kyushu-u.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Tetsuro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tomiyama
authors.forename: Riki
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Toita
authors.forename: Jeong-Hun
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Kang
authors.forename: Haruka
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Koga
authors.forename: Shujiro
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Shiosaki
authors.forename: Takeshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Mori
authors.forename: Takuro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Niidome
authors.forename: Yoshiki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Katayama