Abstract

The present study reports the transfection and cytotoxicity of hyperbranched poly (2-dimethylaminoethylmethacrylate) (pDMAEMA) based polymer at various physiological conditions. Transfection capability and cytotoxicity of the hyperbranched polymer were first evaluated by varying the molecular weight upon PEGylation. Hyperbranched polymer with optimal PEGylation was later protonized and the effect of protonation was evaluated. Finally, the effects of serum on transfection and cellular metabolic activity on various cell types were investigated. Results suggest that hyperbranched polymer with medium PEGylation (Mw 24000Da) and protonation were best suited for transfection which exhibited minimal toxicity. However, the effect of serum was cell-type dependent.

Keywords: Cellular metabolism, PEGylation, poly (2-dimethyl-aminoethylmethacrylate) (pDMAEMA), protonation, transfection.

Graphical Abstract