A Phytochemical-Based Copolymer Derived from Coriolus versicolor Polysaccharopeptides for Gene Delivery

Abstract

Coriolus versicolor is an herb widely used for cancer treatment in traditional Chinese medicine. Its active ingredients, polysaccharopeptides (PSP), have been used for adjuvant therapies in cancer treatment. This study conjugates Coriolus versicolor PSP with poly(ethylenimine) (PEI) to generate a PSP-PEI copolymer for gene transfer. After PEI conjugation, both the pH buffering capacity and DNA compaction ability of PSP are significantly increased. Compared with that of PSP, the transfection efficiency of PSP-PEI is 10 to 20-fold higher in vitro. This is a proof-of-concept study reporting the direct use of bioactive phytochemicals from traditional Chinese medicine for gene vector development. The promising performance of PSP-PEI raises the possibility that bioactive herbal ingredients can be further developed as a multi-therapeutic gene carrier for tackling cancers.

Nanoparticulate Systems for Bioactive Agent Delivery: What Is the Missing Link in Research for Real Applications?

“…One example of such carriers is the potentially immune‐modulating copolymer generated by conjugating polysaccharopeptides from Coriolus versicolor with PEI. [ 11 ] The copolymer has been demonstrated to form nanoparticles upon complexation with therapeutic nucleic acids. Another example is the antitumorigenic agent generated from structural modification of calixarenes for micelle formation and doxorubicin encapsulation.…”