Starburst polyamidoamine dendrimers are a new class of synthetic polymers with unique structural and physical characteristics. These polymers were investigated for the ability to bind DNA and enhance DNA transfer and expression in a variety of mammalian cell lines. Twenty different types of polyamidoamine dendrimers were synthesized, and the polymer structure was confirmed using welldefined analytical techniques. The efficiency of plasmid DNA transfection using dendrimers was examined using two reporter gene systems: firefly luciferase and bacterial 1B-galactosidase. The transfections were performed using various dendrimers, and levels of expression of the reporter protein were determined. Highly efficient transfection of a broad range of eukaryotic cells and cell lines was achieved with minimal cytotoxicity using the DNA/dendrimer complexes.However, the ability to transfect cells was restricted to certain types of dendrimers and in some situations required the presence of, additional compounds, such as DEAE-dextran, that appeared to alter the nature of the complex. A few cell lines demonstrated enhanced transfection with the addition of chloroquine, indicating endosomal localization of the complexes. The capability of a dendrimer to transfect cells appeared to depend on the size, shape, and number of primary amino groups on the surface of the polymer. However, the specific dendrimer most efficient in achieving transfection varied between different types of cells. These studies demonstrate that Starburst dendrimers can transfect a wide variety of cell types in vitro and offer an efficient method for producing permanently transfected cell lines.

Prior studies suggested that nanoparticle drug delivery might improve the therapeutic response to anticancer drugs and allow the simultaneous monitoring of drug uptake by tumors. We employed modified PAMAM dendritic polymers <5 nm in diameter as carriers. Acetylated dendrimers were conjugated to folic acid as a targeting agent and then coupled to either methotrexate or tritium and either fluorescein or 6-carboxytetramethylrhodamine. These conjugates were injected i.v. into immunodeficient mice bearing human KB tumors that overexpress the folic acid receptor. In contrast to nontargeted polymer, folate-conjugated nanoparticles concentrated in the tumor and liver tissue over 4 days after administration. The tumor tissue localization of the folate-targeted polymer could be attenuated by prior i.v. injection of free folic acid. Confocal microscopy confirmed the internalization of the drug conjugates into the tumor cells. Targeting methotrexate increased its antitumor activity and markedly decreased its toxicity, allowing therapeutic responses not possible with a free drug. (Cancer Res 2005; 65(12): 5317-24 )

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The cellular uptake and cytotoxicity of an engineered multifunctional dendritic nanodevice containing folic acid (FA) as the targeting molecule, methotrexate (MTX) as the chemotherapeutic drug, and fluorescein (FI) as the detecting agent were studied in vitro. FI and FA were conjugated to the generation 5 poly(amidoamine) (G5) dendrimer carrier through a thiourea and amide linkage and MTX was conjugated through an ester linkage to the carrier to generate the trifunctional dendritic device, G5-FI-FA-MTX. This trifunctional dendrimer-drug conjugate bound to FA receptor-expressing KB cells in a dose-dependent and saturable manner. Confocal microscopic analysis demonstrated cellular internalization of the conjugate. G5-FI-FA-MTX induced a time- and dose-dependent inhibition of cell growth in KB cells. The targeted dendrimer conjugates G5-FI-FA-MTX and G5-FA-MTX inhibited cell growth in KB cells, whereas the nontargeted G5-MTX failed to induce growth inhibition. These studies show the potential of G5-FI-FA-MTX or G5-FA-MTX for targeting and growth suppression of tumor cells that overexpress FA-receptors.

The stage-specific embryonic antigen SSEA-I is a cell-surface oligosaccharide molecule expressed with temporal precision during the murine preimplantation period and implicated in adhesive events involving the process of compaction. We used a mammalian transient expression system to isolate a cloned human cDNA that determines expression of the SSEA-I molecule. The cDNA sequence predicts a type II transmembrane protein with a domain structure similar to mammalian glycosyltransferases, but without primary sequence similarity to these enzymes. The carboxy-terminal domain of this protein was shown to be catalytically active as a fucosyltransferase when expressed in COS-I cells as a portion of a secreted protein A fusion peptide. The enzyme is an exceptional glycosyltransferase in that it can use both type I and type II oligosaccharides as acceptor substrates to generate subterminal Fucc~(l,4)-and Fuc~(l,3)-linkages, respectively, in a manner analogous to the human Lewis blood group fucosyltransferase. Southern blot analysis shows that the cDNA corresponds to sequences syntenic to the Lewis locus on chromosome 19. These results indicate that this cDNA is the product of the human Lewis blood group locus, provide genetic confirmation of the hypothesis that this enzyme can catalyze two distinct transglycosylation reactions, and outline an approach to the isolation of other sequences that determine expression of developmentally regulated oligosaccharide antigens.