Pluronic Block Copolymers for Gene Therapy

The field of non-viral gene therapy has recently gained increased interest (75). It is widely believed that non-viral gene therapy can overcome some problems inherent to cm -rent viral-based therapies, including immune and toxic reactions as well as the potential for viral recombination (76). The Pluronic block copolymers, as one class of non-ionic polymers, have proven to be useful elements to the polyplexes for gene therapy applications. Furthermore, Pluronic block copolymers themselves appear to be very valuable for gene dehvery 

Some recent reports suggest that Pluronic block copolymers can be used as the components of novel self-assembling gene delivery systems. Astafieva et al. (77) have demonstrated that Pluronic block copolymers can enhance polycation-mediated gene transfer in vitro. A synthetic polycation, poly(A(-ethyl-4-vmylpyridinixun bromide) (PEVP), jmd plasmid DNA, were mixed with 1% P85 to treat the cells. Both the DNA uptake 

Block-graft copolymers synthesized by covalent conjugation of Pluronic and branched PEI were used as materials for preparation of polyplexes. Such polyplexes usually contain three components (i) DNA (ii) Pluronic-PEI conjugate and (iii) free Pluronic (Fig. 7). The formulations were prepared with both plasmid DNA and oligonucleotides (ODN), resulting in stable polyplex dispersion with the particle size in the ranges of 100—200 nm. These polyplexes were used successfully for delivery of plasmid DNA and antisense ODN in vitro 

Pluronic Block Copolymers Enhance Gene Expression in Stably Transformed Cell Models 

Effect of Pluronic Block Copolymers on Gene Delivery In Vivo 

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