Effective delivery of DNA into tumor cells and tissues by electroporation of polymer–DNA complex

Electroporation is a useful means for non-viral gene delivery. Here, we investigated the use of electroporation to deliver polymer–DNA complexes into living cells using a protein kinase C (PKC)α-responsive polymer. The polymer was complexed with a luciferase-encoding DNA and electroporated into B16 melanoma cells. Gene expression from polymer–DNA complexes was 3- to 5-fold higher than from naked DNA. Moreover, after introduction of the polymer–DNA complex into tissues, luciferase levels were >2-fold higher in B16 melanoma tumors than in normal skin tissue. These results suggest that the combination of our polymer and electroporation is useful for the effective delivery of DNA into tumors.