Polyvalent choline phosphate as a universal biomembrane adhesive.

Phospholipids in the cell membranes of all eukaryotic cells contain phosphatidyl choline (PC) as the headgroup. Here we show that hyperbranched polyglycerols (HPGs) decorated with the 'PC-inverse' choline phosphate (CP) in a polyvalent fashion can electrostatically bind to a variety of cell membranes and to PC-containing liposomes, the binding strength depending on the number density of CP groups per macromolecule. We also show that HPG-CPs can cause cells to adhere with varying affinity to other cells, and that binding can be reversed by subsequent exposure to low molecular weight HPGs carrying small numbers of PCs. Moreover, PC-rich membranes adsorb and rapidly internalize fluorescent HPG-CP but not HPG-PC molecules, which suggests that HPG-CPs could be used as drug-delivery agents. CP-decorated polymers should find broad use, for instance as tissue sealants and in the self-assembly of lipid nanostructures.

Branched multifunctional polyether polyketals: variation of ketal group structure enables unprecedented control over polymer degradation in solution and within cells.

Multifunctional biocompatible and biodegradable nanomaterials incorporating specific degradable linkages that respond to various stimuli and with defined degradation profiles are critical to the advancement of targeted nanomedicine. Herein we report, for the first time, a new class of multifunctional dendritic polyether polyketals containing different ketal linkages in their backbone that exhibit unprecedented control over degradation in solution and within the cells. High-molecular-weight and highly compact poly(ketal hydroxyethers) (PKHEs) were synthesized from newly designed α-epoxy-ω-hydroxyl-functionalized AB(2)-type ketal monomers carrying structurally different ketal groups (both cyclic and acyclic) with good control over polymer properties by anionic ring-opening multibranching polymerization. Polymer functionalization with multiple azide and amine groups was achieved without degradation of the ketal group. The polymer degradation was controlled primarily by the differences in the structure and torsional strain of the substituted ketal groups in the main chain, while for polymers with linear (acyclic) ketal groups, the hydrophobicity of the polymer may play an additional role. This was supported by the log P values of the monomers and the hydrophobicity of the polymers determined by fluorescence spectroscopy using pyrene as the probe. A range of hydrolysis half-lives of the polymers at mild acidic pH values was achieved, from a few minutes to a few hundred days, directly correlating with the differences in ketal group structures. Confocal microscopy analyses demonstrated similar degradation profiles for PKHEs within live cells, as seen in solution and the delivery of fluorescent marker to the cytosol. The cell viability measured by MTS assay and blood compatibility determined by complement activation, platelet activation, and coagulation assays demonstrate that PKHEs and their degradation products are highly biocompatible. Taken together, these data demonstrate the utility this new class of biodegradable polymer as a highly promising candidate in the development of multifunctional nanomedicine.

Size-dependant cellular uptake of dendritic polyglycerol.

To study the mechanism of cellular internalization, hyperbranched polyether derivatives consisting of amino-bearing hyperbranched polyglycerols (HPGs) of varied molecular mass and size range are designed and synthesized. HPGs were further fluorescently labelled by conjugating maleimido indocarbocyanine dye (ICC-mal). The conjugates are characterized by UV-vis spectroscopy, fluorescence profile, zeta potential, and dynamic light scattering. The uptake mechanism is studied by fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS) analysis, fluorescence spectroscopy, and confocal microscopy with human lung cancer cells A549, human epidermoid carcinoma cells A431, and human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) cells. For the first time, the results suggest that the higher-molecular-weight HPGs (40-870 kDa) predominantly accumulate in the cytoplasm much better than their low-molecular-weight counterparts (2-20 kDa). The HPG nanocarriers discussed here have many biomedical implications, particularly for delivering drugs to the targeted site.

Paclitaxel incorporated in hydrophobically derivatized hyperbranched polyglycerols for intravesical bladder cancer therapy.

OBJECTIVE: To develop paclitaxel incorporated into unimolecular micelles based on hydrophobically derivatized hyperbranched polyglycerols (dHPGs) for use as mucoadhesive intravesical agents against non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Two different types of dHPGs (HPG- C10-polyethylene glycol (PEG) and polyethyleneimine (PEI)-C18-HPG) were synthesized and paclitaxel was loaded into these using a solvent evaporation method. After physicochemical characterization of the resulting nanoparticles, four human bladder cancer cell lines were incubated with various concentrations of paclitaxel incorporated in dHPGs and the results were compared with those of paclitaxel formulated in Cremophor-EL (Taxol(R), Bristol-Myers-Squibb). In vivo, nude mice with orthotopic KU7-luc tumours were intravesically instilled with phosphate buffered saline, Taxol, or paclitaxel/HPG-C10-PEG. RESULTS: dHPGs are mucoadhesive nanoparticles with hydrodynamic radii of <10 nm and incorporation of paclitaxel did not affect their size. The release profiles of paclitaxel from dHPGs were characterized by a rapid-release phase followed by a slower sustained-release phase. While the PEI-C18-HPG formulation released only approximately 40% of the initially incorporated paclitaxel, up to 80% was released from HPG-C10-PEG. Moreover, only paclitaxel/HPG-C10-PEG was stable in acidic urine. In vitro, all paclitaxel formulations potently decreased bladder cancer proliferation although paclitaxel/HPG-C10-PEG was slightly less cytotoxic than standard Taxol. By contrast, in vivo, the mucoadhesive HPG-C10-PEG formulation of paclitaxel was significantly more effective in reducing orthotopic tumour growth than Taxol and was well tolerated. CONCLUSION: Intravesical administration of mucoadhesive nanoparticulate formulations of paclitaxel might be a promising approach for instillation therapy of patients with non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer.

Hydrophobically derivatized hyperbranched polyglycerol as a human serum albumin substitute.

There is a huge clinical demand for Human Serum Albumin (HSA), with a world market of approximately $1.5B/year. Concern over prion and viral transmission in the blood supply has led to a need for safer substitutes and offers the opportunity for development of materials with enhanced properties over the presently available plasma expanders. We report here the synthesis and testing of a new synthetic plasma expander that can replace not only the osmotic and volume expansion properties of HSA but, uniquely, its binding and transport properties. We have synthesized several hyperbranched polyglycerols derivatized with hydrophobic groups and short poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) chains. The hydrophobic groups provide regions for binding fatty acids and other hydrophobic materials while PEG imparts the necessary protection from host defense systems and enhances circulation longevity. These polymers, being hyperbranched, have only a small effect on plasma viscosity. We have shown in vitro that our materials bind 2-3 moles palmitic acid per mole, do not activate the platelet, coagulation or complement systems and do not cause red cell aggregation. In mice these materials are non-toxic with circulation half-lives as high as 34h, controllable by manipulating the molecular weight and the degree of PEG derivatization.

In vivo biological evaluation of high molecular weight hyperbranched polyglycerols.

Hyperbranched polyglycerols (HPGs) are water-soluble polyether polyols that can be synthesized in a controlled manner with low polydispersity. Recently we reported the synthesis and characterization of very high molecular weight and narrowly polydispersed HPGs that could be used as potential alternatives to high generation dendrimers, their advantage being the relative simplicity of synthesis. Reported in this article are the pharmacokinetic properties of these polymers. Two polymers of number average molecular weights 106,000 and 540,000 were tested in mice for their pharmacokinetic behavior. The plasma half-life for the lower molecular weight polymer was around 32 h whereas that of the higher molecular weight HPG was approximately 57 h. Our results show that these high molecular weight HPGs, which can be prepared in a single step reaction, are potential candidates for drug delivery and imaging applications where a long circulating polymer is highly desirable. A detailed tissue distribution profile of these polymers as a function of molecular weight is described. These polymers were also found to be hydrolytically stable and the concentration dependence of solution viscosity measurements suggested the absence of any aggregation.

Long-circulating non-toxic blood pool imaging agent based on hyperbranched polyglycerols.

PURPOSE: Currently, in vivo or in vitro(99m)Tc-radiolabelled red blood cells are the standard blood pool imaging agents. Due to risks associated with handling of blood and the problems with the current (99m)Tc shortage, we were interested in a long-circulating biocompatible synthetic macromolecule that would be simple to prepare and could also be used for PET imaging. METHODS: A high molecular weight hyperbranched polyglycerol (HPG) of 500 kDa was derivatized to coordinate radioactive gallium and to establish its labelling efficiency, stability and pharmacokinetics. RESULTS: The resulting radiopharmaceutical in kit form was labelled rapidly within a couple of minutes at room temperature, was stable in transferrin and EDTA challenge tests, and was non-toxic in both cell viability and different hemocompatibility assays. A pharmacokinetic biodistribution study showed that the (67)Ga-HPGN was confined to the blood compartment with a biological half life of 50.7h. CONCLUSION: (67)Ga-HPGN is thus a simple to prepare blood pool imaging agent for applications where a long biological half-life is essential, i.e., the diagnosis of internal bleeding. Since radiolabelling of the same kit with (68)Ga was also confirmed, we plan to evaluate it shortly as a PET blood pool imaging agent for cardiac applications.

The role of dimension in multivalent binding events: structure-activity relationship of dendritic polyglycerol sulfate binding to L-selectin in correlation with size and surface charge density.

L-, P-, and E-Selectin are cell adhesion molecules that play a crucial role in leukocyte recruitment from the blood stream to the afflicted tissue in an acute and chronic inflammatory setting. Since selectins mediate the initial contact of leukocytes to the vascular endothelium, they have evolved as a valuable therapeutic target in diseases related to inflammation by inhibition of the physiological selectin-ligand interactions. In a previous study, it was demonstrated that dPGS, a fully synthetic heparin analogue, works as an efficient inhibitor towards L- and P-selectin in vitro as well as in vivo. Herein, the focus is directed towards the effect of size and charge density of the polyanion. The efficiency of L-selectin inhibition via an SPR-based in vitro assay and a cell-based flow chamber assay is investigated with dPGS ranging from approximately 4 to 2000 kDa. SPR measurements show that the inhibitory potential of highly sulfated dPGS increases with size and charge density. Thereby, IC(50) values from the micromolar to the low picomolar range are determined. The same tendency could be observed in a cell-based flow chamber assay with three representative dPGS samples. This structure-affinity relationship of dPGS suggests that the strong inhibitory potential of dPGS is not only based on the strong electrostatic interaction with areas of cationic surface potential on L-selectin but is also due to a steric shielding of the carbohydrate binding site by large, flexible dPGS particles.

Red blood cell membrane grafting of multi-functional hyperbranched polyglycerols.

The covalent attachment of hydrophilic polymers or biopharmaceuticals to the surface of red blood cells (RBCs) has previously been shown as a relatively compatible and effective method for a range of applications. Here, the first example of cell-surface grafting with a hyperbranched and multi-functional macromolecule is described. A range (3 kDa-101 kDa) of dense, globular, and blood compatible hyperbranched polyglycerols (HPG) were synthesized and functionalized with cell-surface reactive, succinimidyl succinate groups (1-12 groups per polymer). Subsequently, HPG was grafted to the RBCs, which were analyzed using physical characterization techniques such as aqueous two-phase partitioning and particle electrophoresis. It was found that the extent of grafting was enhanced by increasing HPG molecular weight, the number of reactive groups per HPG, HPG concentration, and reaction time. Good in vitro cell viability - as measured by lipid peroxidation, hemoglobin oxidation, cell lysis, osmotic fragility, stability in fresh serum and aggregation behavior - was observed for grafting concentrations up to 4.8 mm. The multi-functional aspect of HPG is highlighted by the following observations: using fluorescein-labeled Anti-D (monoclonal) antibody and flow cytometry, the detection of cell-surface Rhesus (RhD) antigens were significantly reduced upon HPG grafting. Secondly, the potential for using HPG as a multi-functional, delivery agent was demonstrated by attaching fluorescent markers to the HPG via degradable linkages prior to grafting.

Isotopic labeling of terminal amines in complex samples identifies protein N-termini and protease cleavage products.

Effective proteome-wide strategies that distinguish the N-termini of proteins from the N-termini of their protease cleavage products would accelerate identification of the substrates of proteases with broad or unknown specificity. Our approach, named terminal amine isotopic labeling of substrates (TAILS), addresses this challenge by using dendritic polyglycerol aldehyde polymers that remove tryptic and C-terminal peptides. We analyze unbound naturally acetylated, cyclized or labeled N-termini from proteins and their protease cleavage products by tandem mass spectrometry, and use peptide isotope quantification to discriminate between the substrates of the protease of interest and the products of background proteolysis. We identify 731 acetylated and 132 cyclized N-termini, and 288 matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-2 cleavage sites in mouse fibroblast secretomes. We further demonstrate the potential of our strategy to link proteases with defined biological pathways in complex samples by analyzing mouse inflammatory bronchoalveolar fluid and showing that expression of the poorly defined breast cancer protease MMP-11 in MCF-7 human breast cancer cells cleaves both endoplasmin and the immunomodulator and apoptosis inducer galectin-1.

Poly(oligo(ethylene glycol)acrylamide) brushes by surface initiated polymerization: effect of macromonomer chain length on brush growth and protein adsorption from blood plasma.

Three hydrolytically stable polyethyleneglycol (PEG)-based N-substituted acrylamide macromonomers, methoxypolyethyleneglycol (350) acrylamide (MPEG350Am) methoxypolyethyleneglycol (750) acrylamide(MPEG750Am) and methoxypolyethyleneglycol (2000)acrylamide (MPEG2000Am) with increasing PEG chain length were synthesized. Surface-initiated aqueous atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) using CuCl/1,1,4,7,10,10-hexamethyl triethylene tetramine (HMTETA) catalyst was utilized to generate dense polymer brushes from these monomers via an ester linker group on the surface of model polystyrene (PS) particles. The molecular weight, hydrodynamic thickness, and graft densities of the grafted polymer layers were controlled by changing the reaction parameters of monomer concentration, addition of Cu(II)Cl2, and sodium chloride. The graft densities of surface-grafted brushes decreased with increasing PEG macromonomer chain length, 350 > 750 >> 2000, under similar experimental conditions. The molecular weight of grafts increased with increase in monomer concentration, and only selected conditions produced narrow distributed polymer chains. The molecular weight of grafted polymer chains differs significantly to those formed in solution. The hydrodynamic thicknesses of the grafted polymer layers were fitted to the Daoud and Cotton model (DCM) for brush height on spherical surfaces. The results show that the size of the pendent groups on the polymer chains has a profound effect on the hydrodynamic thickness of the brush for a given degree of polymerization. The new PEG-based surfaces show good protection against nonspecific protein adsorption from blood plasma compared to the bare surface. Protein adsorption decreased with increasing surface density of grafted polymer chains. Poly(MPEG750Am) brushes were more effective in preventing protein adsorption than poly(MPEG350Am) even at low graft densities, presumably due to the increase in PEG content in the grafted layer.

Self-assembled monothiol-terminated hyperbranched polyglycerols on a gold surface: a comparative study on the structure, morphology, and protein adsorption characteristics with linear poly(ethylene glycol)s.

Monothiol-terminated hyperbranched polyglycerols (HPGs) were synthesized by ring-opening polymerization of glycidol from partially deprotonated 2,2'-dihydroxyethane disulfide as the initiator and subsequent reduction of the disulfide group. Two molecular weights of HPG thiols were synthesized. The molecular weights of the polymers were determined by MALDI-TOF analysis, and the presence of thiol was verified by Ellman's assay. The self-assembly of HPG thiols on gold was studied and compared with that of linear poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) thiols utilizing various surface analysis techniques. Monothiol-functionalized HPGs readily adsorbed to a gold surface and formed highly uniform thin films on the surface. The graft density of the HPG layer decreased with an increase in the molecular weight of the polymer. The amount of polymer on the surface increased with increasing incubation concentration and saturated above 6 g/L polymer concentration. Generally, HPG thiols gave lower graft density compared to linear PEG thiols of similar molecular weight. AFM morphological studies showed that HPG thiols form more uniform and smooth surface films compared to PEG thiols. Incubation of a polymer-coated surface (HPG thiols and PEG thiols) with bovine serum albumin and immunoglobulin showed that the high molecular weight hyperbranched polyglycerol was more resistant to protein adsorption than linear PEG of similar molecular weight or lower molecular weight HPG. The protein adsorption decreased with increasing graft density of the HPG chains on the surface. Our results show that HPG could be a good alternative to PEG in the development of nonfouling functional surfaces.