Purpose: Amphiphilic triblock copolymers such as the pluronic poly(ethylene oxide-b-propylene oxide-b-ethylene oxide) L64 (pEO(13)-pPO(30)-pEO(13)) have been shown to mediate more efficient gene transfer in muscle as compared to naked DNA. We were interested in studying the effect of a chemical change of the central block of pluronic polymers on the transfection activity.
Methods: We synthesized new amphiphilic copolymers in which the hydrophobic pPO block was replaced by poly(tetrahydrofuran) (pTHF) chains. The resulting triblock pEO-pTHF-pEO polymers have been characterized by NMR and SEC and assayed for in vitro and in vivo gene transfer.
Results: The animal experiments showed that the new copolymers are able to significantly increase the transfection efficiency of plasmid DNA after intramuscular injection.
Conclusions: These results indicate that the capacity to enhance plasmid DNA transfection in skeletal muscle is not restricted to pEO-pPO-pEO arrangements.