A simple approach for producing highly efficient DNA carriers with reduced toxicity based on modified polyallylamine

• The modified polyallylamine was synthesized as a gene carrier.
• Modification of polyallylamine (15 kDa) with high percentages of hexyl acrylate improved transfection activity remarkably.
• Grafting of polymer with acrylate derivatives reduced polymer cytotoxicity especially at percentages of 30 and 50.

Nowadays gene delivery is a topic in many research studies. Non-viral vectors have many advantages over viral vectors in terms of safety, immunogenicity and gene carrying capacity but they suffer from low transfection efficiency and high toxicity. In this study, polyallylamine (PAA), the cationic polymer, has been modified with hydrophobic branches to increase the transfection efficiency of the polymer. Polyallylamine with molecular weights of 15 and 65 kDa was selected and grafted with butyl, hexyl and decyl acrylate at percentages of 10, 30 and 50. The ability of the modified polymer to condense DNA was examined by ethidium bromide test. The complex of modified polymer and DNA (polyplex) was characterized for size, zeta potential, transfection efficiency and cytotoxicity in Neuro2A cell lines. The results of ethidium bromide test showed that grafting of PAA decreased its ability for DNA condensation but vectors could still condense DNA at moderate and high carrier to DNA ratios. Most of polyplexes had particle size between 150 and 250 nm. The prepared vectors mainly showed positive zeta potential but carriers composed of PAA with high percentage of grafting had negative zeta potential. The best transfection activity was observed in vectors with hexyl acrylate chain. Grafting of polymer reduced its cytotoxicity especially at percentages of 30 and 50. The vectors based of PAA 15 kDa had better transfection efficiency than the vectors made of PAA 65 kDa. In conclusion, results of the present study indicated that grafting PAA 15 kDa with high percentages of hexyl acrylate can help to prepare vectors with better transfection efficiency and less cytotoxicity.