Hydrolytically Stable Cationic Bis-MPA Dendrimers as Efficient Transfectants for Glioblastoma Cells and Primary AstrocytesShow others and affiliations
2026 (English)In: Biomacromolecules, ISSN 1525-7797, E-ISSN 1526-4602, Vol. 27, no 1, p. 234-248Article in journal (Refereed) Published
Abstract [en]
We report the biological evaluation of bis-MPA dendrimers terminated with either cysteamine (CYS) or 2-(dimethylamino)ethanethiol (DA) groups for siRNA transfection. The results show that aggregation phenomena are critical to the biological performance of these constructs. Confocal and 2D microscopy demonstrated that only the G3-CYS dendrimer transported siRNA into cells. Accordingly, G3-CYS-mediated siRNA transfection reduced intracellular levels of the target proteins─p42-MAPK, Rheb, and MGMT─to 15–25% of control levels in a human glioblastoma cell line and mouse astrocytes. G3-CYS transfection efficiency was similar to that of commercial transfectants. However, its self-degradable bis-MPA backbone and tunable peripheral groups render it markedly superior, making it a promising transfection agent and emphasize the critical balance between structural design, biological efficacy, and safety. Despite its efficacy, G3-CYS displayed a narrow therapeutic window with pronounced cytotoxicity above 1 μM. In vivo studies further confirmed dose-dependent systemic toxicity, likely associated with enhanced blood coagulation.
Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
American Chemical Society (ACS) , 2026. Vol. 27, no 1, p. 234-248
National Category
Medical Biotechnology (Focus on Cell Biology, (incl. Stem Cell Biology), Molecular Biology, Microbiology, Biochemistry or Biopharmacy)
Identifiers
URN: urn:nbn:se:kth:diva-375920DOI: 10.1021/acs.biomac.5c01202ISI: 001630100900001PubMedID: 41334811Scopus ID: 2-s2.0-105027242800OAI: oai:DiVA.org:kth-375920DiVA, id: diva2:2032947
Note
QC 20260128
2026-01-282026-01-282026-01-28Bibliographically approved