W. Thomas Shier, Principal Investigator

Transfection of PEI Derivatives

The use of polyethyleneimine (PEI) dendrimers as transfection vectors has shown promise compared to the use of traditional vectors such as viruses and liposomes. However, additional improvements will need to be made before these vectors can be used in vivo for human gene therapy. This research group is designing and synthesizing modified dendrimers with a polycation core. Around the core is a series of shells: first, a shell of hydrophobic chains, then a shell of acid (pH 5.0) cleavable linkers, and finally an outer oligocationic shell. The surface shell is intended to bind deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) in the initial loading phase, but release it after the complex has entered the acid environment inside an endosome within the target cell. Computer-aided design is being used to estimate the size and density of oligocationic surface shell components that would both bind and release DNA efficiently.

Research Group

Terry Steele, Graduate Student Researcher