Naohiko Shimada

Ureido-derivatized polymers based on both poly(allylurea) and poly(l -citrulline) exhibit UCST-type phase transition behavior under physiologically relevant conditions

There are few examples of polymers that exhibit upper critical solution temperature (UCST) behavior under physiological conditions of temperature, pH, and ionic strength. In this study, we demonstrated that polymers with ureido groups undergo UCST-type phase transitions under physiologically relevant conditions. Poly(allylurea) copolymers showed UCST behavior at pH 7.5 in 150 mM NaCl even at the low polymer concentration of 0.13 mg/mL. Their phase separation temperatures (T(p)) could be controlled up to 65 °C. Similar thermosensitivity was observed with copolypeptides consisting of L-citrulline having an ureido group. This is the first demonstration of a non-vinyl polymer that shows UCST behavior under physiologically relevant conditions. We suggest that the ureido modification will be useful for production of polymer materials with UCST behavior in aqueous media.

Grafting of poly(ethylene glycol) to poly-lysine augments its lifetime in blood circulation and accumulation in tumors without loss of the ability to associate with siRNA.

Poly-lysine has been studied as a carrier for the delivery of drugs and nucleic acids for at least a decade. It is an especially attractive carrier for DNA and RNA, because of its condensed cationic charges. In our previous study, we showed that poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) grafted to poly-L-lysine (PLL) remarkably increased the life time of a small interfering RNA (siRNA) in blood circulation. In this study, we prepared a new series of PEG-grafted PLL (PLL-g-PEG) with various lengths (PEG 2kDa, 5kDa, and 10kDa and PLL 28kDa and 40kDa), to evaluate masking effects of PEG on cationic charges of PLL in vivo and the structural implications for biodistribution and tumoral accumulation. The best in the series, 40K10P37 (40kDa of PLL, 10kDa of PEG, 37mol% grafting) with molecular weight of 10(6) as determined by Multi-Angle Laser Light Scattering (MALLS), accumulated in tumors at about 8% of the injected dose per gram of tissue. Interestingly, a PLL-g-PEG conjugate pre-mixed with murine sera prevented degradation of siRNA, suggesting that PLL-g-PEG preferentially associates with siRNA in sera. Our results indicate grafting of PEG to the side chains of PLL augments its lifetime in blood circulation and tumoral accumulation without loss of the ability to associate with siRNA and support further evaluation of these cationic delivery carriers.

Design of UCST polymers for chilling capture of proteins

Ureido-derivatized polymers, such as poly(allylurea) (PU) and poly(L-citrulline) derivatives, exhibited upper critical solution temperature (UCST) behavior under physiological buffer conditions as we previously reported. The PU derivatives having amino groups (PU-Am) also showed UCST behavior. In this study, we modified the amino groups of the polymer with succinyl anhydride (PU-Su) or acetyl anhydride (PU-Ac) to determine the effects of these ionic groups on the UCST behavior and to control interactions between the PU derivatives and biocomponents such as proteins and cells. Succinylation of PU-Am resulted in a significant decrease in phase separation temperature (Tp), whereas acetylation of PU-Am resulted in an increase in Tp. As expected, the Tp of PU-Am and PU-Su changed when the pH of the solution was changed. The Tp of PU-Am increased at higher pH, whereas that of PU-Su increased at lower pH, indicating that ionic charge decreases Tp of PU derivatives by increasing osmotic pressure and by increasing hydrophilicity of the polymer chains. Interestingly, these groups did not significantly change UCST when these groups were nonionic. We then examined capture and separation of particular proteins from a protein mixture by cooling-induced phase separation. Selective and rapid capture of particular proteins from protein mixture by PU derivatives was shown, indicating that the ureido-derivatized polymers are potential media for bioseparation under biofriendly conditions.

A polycation-chaperoned in-stem molecular beacon system

In the presence of poly(L-lysine)-graft-dextran, an in-stem molecular beacon involving three perylene-anthraquinone pairs in the stem region had a signal/background ratio of as high as 570. Response speed was also remarkable; equilibrium was attained within 5 minutes after addition of substrate DNA at 20 °C.

Poly(L-lysine)-graft-dextran copolymer accelerates DNA hybridization by two orders

Poly(l-lysine)-graft-dextran at nanomolar concentration significantly accelerated DNA-hybridization rate over 200-fold under physiologically relevant ionic conditions.

Tumor delivery of Photofrin® by PLL-g-PEG for photodynamic therapy

Photofrin® (porfimer sodium) is a photosensitive reagent used for photodynamic therapy (PDT) of tumors and dysplasias. Because only photo-irradiated sites are damaged, PDT is less invasive than systemic treatments. However, a photosensitive reaction is a major side effect of systemically delivered Photofrin. To enhance localization of Photofrin to tumors, we have formulated Photofrin with the tumor-localizing graft copolymer poly(ethylene glycol)-grafted poly(l-lysine), PLL-g-PEG. We demonstrate that Photofrin preferentially interacts with PLL-g-PEG through both ionic and hydrophobic interactions. The serum competitive study showed that the highly PEG-grafted PLL is better for preventing serum binding to the Photofrin/PLL-g-PEG complex. In tumor-bearing mice, formulation of Photofrin with PLL-g-PEG enhanced tumor localization of Photofrin as twice as Photofrin alone and concomitantly suppressed the photosensitivity reaction drastically.

Uptake of enzymatically-digested hyaluronan by liver endothelial cells in vivo and in vitro

Intravenously-injected hyaluronan (HA) is distributed into liver in which endothelium is a site of uptake and degradation of HA. The role and fate of HA have been widely investigated; however, effects of size and dose of HA on its metabolism have not been well documented yet. To investigate these effects, we prepared fluorescein-labeled HAs, according to the modified methods described by de Belder and Wik, which were enzymatically digested. The 90 kDa fluorescein-labeled HA gradually accumulated in a liver that was distributed into the endothelium; however, 10 kDa or less HA did not. Cell fractionation and flow cytometry further demonstrated the cell of uptake in the liver is an endothelial cell, both in vivo and in vitro. Interestingly, the largest uptake by liver endothelial cells in vitro was observed in 10 kDa HA, even though which did not accumulate in liver in vivo. These results suggest that the result observed with 10 kDa HA in vivo is due to the rapid excretion in urine. Thus, inhibiting of the digestion or suppressing of the urinary excretion would enhance uptake of HA in vivo. These ideas may help to deliver drugs or genes targeting to liver endothelium.

DNA assembly and re-assembly activated by cationic comb-type copolymer

Guanine-rich oligonucleotides, such as TG(4)T and TG(5)T, assemble into a tetramolecular quadruplexes with layers of G-quartets stabilized by coordination to monovalent cations. Association rates of the quadruplexes are extremely slow, likely owing to electrostatic repulsion among the four strands. We have shown that comb-type copolymers with a polycation backbone and abundant hydrophilic graft chains form water-soluble polyelectrolyte complexes with DNA and promote DNA hybridization. Here, we report the effect of cationic comb-type copolymers on the kinetics of tetramolecular quadruplex formation. The copolymer significantly increased the association rate of tetramolecular quadruplexes without altering kinetic effects of metal cations in quadruplex formation. Dissociation rates of the quadruplexes were also accelerated by the copolymer suggesting that the copolymer has chaperone-like activity that reduces the energy barriers associated with dissociation and re-assembly of base pairs. This hypothesis was further supported by the observation that the copolymer activated the strand exchange reaction between the quadruplex and a constituting single-stranded.

Drastic stabilization of parallel DNA hybridizations by a polylysine comb-type copolymer with hydrophilic graft chain

Electrostatic interactions play a major role in protein–DNA interactions. As a model system of a cationic protein, herein we focused on a comb‐type copolymer of a polycation backbone and dextran side chains, poly(L‐lysine)‐graft‐dextran (PLL‐g‐Dex), which has been reported to form soluble interpolyelectrolyte complexes with DNA strands. We investigated the effects of PLL‐g‐Dex on the conformation and thermodynamics of DNA oligonucleotides forming various secondary structures. Thermodynamic analysis of the DNA structures showed that the parallel conformations involved in both DNA duplexes and triplexes were significantly and specifically stabilized by PLL‐g‐Dex. On the basis of thermodynamic parameters, it was further possible to design DNA switches that undergo structural transition responding to PLL‐g‐Dex from an antiparallel duplex to a parallel triplex even with mismatches in the third strand hybridization. These results suggest that polycationic molecules are able to induce structural polymorphism of DNA oligonucleotides, because of the conformation‐selective stabilization effects.

Smart hydrogels exhibiting UCST-type volume changes under physiologically relevant conditions

In this study, we prepared hydrogels composed of poly(allylurea) copolymers that exhibited UCST-type phase separation behaviour. This is the first example of a hydrogel showing a positive thermo-sensitive volume change under physiologically relevant conditions. Of interest, no hysteresis was observed between cooling and heating swelling changes.