1/21/2011
Thermosensitive Poly(N-isopropylacrylamide)-g -Polyamidoamine Dendrimer Derivatives: Preparation and the Drug Release Behaviors
(158–166)Macromolecular Symposia 297 #1 (2010)
Wang  et al of Tianjin University, China  prepared a series of thermally responsive dendritic core-shell polymers based upon dendritic polyamidoamine (PAMAM), modified with carboxyl end-capped linear poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAAm-COOH) in different ratios via an esterification process.  Indomethacin (IMC) as a model drug was loaded in the thermosensitive polymer-grafted dendrimer derivative.  The PNIPAAm chains grafted on the surface of PAMAM dendrimer could act as a channel switching on-off button by varying the surrounding temperature.  (RDC 1/17/2011)

1/7/2011
Disulfide-Containing Hyperbranched Polyethylenimine Derivatives via Click Chemistry for Nonviral Gene Delivery
(64–71) Macromolecular Chemistry and Physics 212 #1 (2011)
Jiang et al of Wuhan University, China synthesized reducible disulfide-containing hyperbranched PEI-SS-HP via click chemistry and evaluated as nonviral gene carrier.  It was shown that the PEI-SS-HP was able to bind plasmid DNA to positively charged nanoparticles.  In vitro experiments revealed that the reducible PEI-SS-HP not only had much lower cytotoxicity, but also posed superior transfection activity as compared to non-degradable 25-kDa PEI. The results indicate that a reducibly degradable PEI-SS-HP can be a promising gene vector.  (RDC 1/13/2011)