文摘
Our report describes RAFT copolymerization of multiple species of active peptide monomers with N-(2-hydroxypropyl(methacrylamide) (HPMA) under aqueous conditions. Resulting statistical copolymers are narrowly disperse with highly controlled molecular weight and composition. Side-chain peptide copolymers were synthesized using a DNA condensing peptide (K<sub>12sub>), and an endosomal escape peptide (K<sub>6sub>H<sub>5sub>) that had been modified with an aminohexanoic linker and capped with methacrylamide vinyl on the NH<sub>2sub>-terminus. Copolymers of HMPA-co-K<sub>12sub> and HPMA-co-K<sub>12sub>-co-K<sub>6sub>H<sub>5sub> efficiently condensed DNA into small particles that maintain size stability even in 150 mM salt solutions. With increasing peptide content, the peptide-based polymers demonstrated gene delivery efficiencies to HeLa cells that were comparable to branched polyethylenimine.