Folate receptor targeted delivery of polyelectrolyte complex micelles prepared from ODN-PEG-folate conjugate and cationic lipids

A polyelectrolyte complex micelle (PECM)-based delivery system for targeting folate (FOL) receptor overexpressing tumor cells is demonstrated using poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG)-conjugated oligonucleotide (ODN). The tumor targeting property was conferred to the PECM by tethering a folate moiety to the distal end of the PEG segment in an anti-sense green fluorescent protein (GFP) ODN-PEG conjugate. Nanoscale PECMs were spontaneously produced from ionic interactions between the ODN-PEG-FOL conjugate and a cationic lipid, lipofectamine (Lf). When treated with FOL receptor overexpressing cells (KB), the PCEMs caused a significant reduction in GFP expression in a dose-dependent manner. This effect was not observed in FOL receptor deficient cells (A549). The enhanced transfection of ODN-PEG-FOL/Lf PECMs to KB cells was caused by FOL receptor mediated endocytosis. The efficiency of target-specific gene suppression by ODN-PEG-FOL/Lf PECMs was maintained even in the presence of 10% fetal bovine serum in the transfection medium.