Conjugation of prostate cancer-specific aptamers to polyethylene glycol-grafted polyethylenimine for enhanced gene delivery to prostate cancer cells

Conjugation of prostate cancer-specific aptamers to polyethylene glycol-grafted polyethylenimine for enhanced gene delivery to prostate cancer cells

Prostate cancer is one of the most frequently diagnosed cancers. In this study, a prostate cancer-specificaptamer, Wy5a, was conjugated to polyethylenimine (PEI) with a polyethylene glycol (PEG) linker forprostate cancer-specific gene delivery. PEI-PEG-AS1411 was synthesized as a non-specific control. PEIPEG-Wy5a formed complexes with plasmid DNA in a spherical form with a diameter of 70 nm and apositive surface-charge. In transfection assays, PEI-PEG-Wy5a had higher gene delivery efficiency to PC-3prostate cancer cells than did PEI-PEG or PEI-PEG-AS1411, but not in other types of cells. The resultssuggest that PEI-PEG-Wy5a may be useful for prostate cancer-specific gene delivery.

Prostate cancer is one of the most frequently diagnosed cancers. In this study, a prostate cancer-specificaptamer, Wy5a, was conjugated to polyethylenimine (PEI) with a polyethylene glycol (PEG) linker forprostate cancer-specific gene delivery. PEI-PEG-AS1411 was synthesized as a non-specific control. PEIPEG-Wy5a formed complexes with plasmid DNA in a spherical form with a diameter of 70 nm and apositive surface-charge. In transfection assays, PEI-PEG-Wy5a had higher gene delivery efficiency to PC-3prostate cancer cells than did PEI-PEG or PEI-PEG-AS1411, but not in other types of cells. The resultssuggest that PEI-PEG-Wy5a may be useful for prostate cancer-specific gene delivery.