Cationized pullulan 3D matrices as new materials for gene transfer

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This study deals with the development of a novel biocompatible cationized pullulan three-dimensional matrix for gene delivery. A water-soluble cationic polysaccharide, diethylaminoethyl-pullulan (DEAE-pullulan), was first synthesized and characterized. Fluorescence quenching and gel retardation assays evidenced the complexation in solution of DNA with DEAE-pullulan, but not with neutral pullulan. On cultured smooth muscle cells (SMCs) incubated with DEAE-pullulan and a plasmid vector expressing a secreted form of alkaline phosphatase (pSEAP), SEAP activity was 150-fold higher than with pSEAP alone or pSEAP with neutral pullulan. DEAE-pullulan was then chemically crosslinked using phosphorus oxychloride. The resulting matrices were obtained in less than a minute and molded as discs of 12 mm diameter and 2 mm thickness. Such DEAE-pullulan 3D matrices were loaded with up to 50 microg of plasmid DNA, with a homogeneous plasmid loading observed with YOYO-1 fluorescence staining. Moreover, the DEAE-pullulan matrix was shown to protect pSEAP from DNase I degradation. Incubation of cultured SMCs with pSEAP-loaded DEAE-pullulan matrices resulted in significant gene transfer without cell toxicity. This study suggests that these cationized pullulan 3D matrices could be useful biomaterials for local gene transfer.