RESUMO
<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To synthesize a biodegradable non-viral gene carrier with a high transfection efficiency and a low cytotoxicity.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Poly(ethylene glycol)-block-(poly(L-glutamic acid)-graft-polyethylenimine) was prepared via ammonolysis of poly(ethylene glycol)-block-poly (γ-benzyl L-glutamate) with the low-molecular-mass polyethylenimine (600 Da). The synthesized copolymer was characterized by 1H nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and gel permeation chromatography. The polyplex micelle from PEG-b-(PG-g-PEI) and plasmid DNA (pDNA) was studied using dynamic light scattering, zeta-potential measurements, and gel retardation assay. The in vitro cytotoxicity and transfection efficiency of PEG-b-(PG-g-PEI) were tested by MTT assay and luciferase assay in HEK 293T cells using PEI (25 kDa) as the control.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>PEG-b-(PG-g-PEI) could efficiently condense DNA into nanosized particles with positive surface charges when the N/P ratio of polymer and DNA was above 5:1. The zeta potential of the polyplexes was about 25 mV, and the particle size was 120 nm at a N/P ratio of 10. The cell toxicity and gene transfection evaluations showed a lower cytotoxicity and a higher gene transfection efficiency of the copolymer than PEI 25000 in HEK 293T cells.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>The polymer can be used as a potential non-viral gene carrier for gene therapy.</p>