PEI-alginate nanocomposites: Efficient non-viral vectors for nucleic acids

Branched polyethylenimine (PEI, 25 kDa) was ionically interacted with varying amount of alginic acid to block different proportion (2.6–5.7%) of amines in PEI to form a series of nanocomposites, PEI-Al. These nanocomposites, upon interaction with DNA, protected it against DNase I. Among various complexes evaluated, PEI-Al(4.8%)/DNA displayed the highest transfection efficiency in HEK293, COS-1 and HeLa cells that was ∼2–8-folds higher than Superfect™, Fugene™, PEI (750 kDa)-Al(6.26%) and PEI alone. The projected nanocomposites were nearly non-toxic to cells in vitro. Furthermore, the concentration of PEI-Al(4.8%) needed to deliver GFP-specific siRNA in COS-1 cells was 20 times lower than PEI (750 kDa)-Al(6.26%). Intracellular trafficking of PEI-Al(4.8%) with or without complexed DNA in HeLa cells shows that both appear in the nucleus after 1 h.