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We performed molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of one or two copies of polyethylene glycol of molecular weight 550 (PEG550) and 5000 (PEG5000) Daltons, conjugated to generation 3 (G3) to 5 (G5) polyamidoamine (PAMAM) dendrimers with explicit water using a coarse-grained model. We found the radii of gyration of these dendrimer-PEG molecules to be close to those measured in experiments by Hedden and Bauer (Macromolecules 2003, 36, 1829). Densely grafted PEG ligands (>50% of the dendrimer surface) extend like brushes, with layer thickness in agreement with theory for starlike polymers. Two dendrimer-PEG complexes in the box drift away from each other, indicating that no aggregation is induced by either short or long PEG chains, conflicting with a recent view that the cytotoxicity of some PEGylated particles might be due to particle aggregation for long PEG lengths.

Targeted drug delivery using nanocarriers is achieved by functionalizing the carrier surface with a tissue-recognition ligand. Current surface modification methods require tedious and inefficient synthesis and purification steps, and are not easily amenable to incorporating multiple functionalities on a single surface. In this report, we describe a versatile, single-step surface functionalizing technique for polymeric nanoparticles. The technique utilizes the fact that when a diblock copolymer like polylactide-polyethylene glycol (PLA-PEG) is introduced in the oil/water emulsion used in polymeric nanoparticle formulation, the PLA block partitions into the polymer containing organic phase and PEG block partitions into the aqueous phase. Removal of the organic solvent results in the formation of nanoparticles with PEG on the surface. When a PLA-PEG-ligand conjugate is used instead of PLA-PEG copolymer, this technique permits a ‘one-pot’ fabrication of ligand-functionalized nanoparticles. In the current study, the IAASF approach facilitated the simultaneous incorporation of biotin and folic acid, known tumor-targeting ligands, on drug-loaded nanoparticles in a single step. Incorporation of the ligands on nanoparticles was confirmed by using NMR, surface plasmon resonance, transmission electron microscopy and tumor cell uptake studies. Simultaneous functionalization with both ligands significantly enhanced nanoparticle accumulation in tumors in vivo, and resulted in greatly improved efficacy of paclitaxel-loaded nanoparticles in a mouse xenograft tumor model. This new surface functionalization approach will enable the development of targeting strategies based on the use of multiple ligands on a single surface to target a tissue of interest.

Self-assembly of polyethylene glycol (PEG)-grafted lipids at different sizes and concentrations was simulated using the MARTINI coarse-grained (CG) force field. The interactions between CG PEG and CG dipalmitoylglycerophosphocholine (DPPC)-lipids were parametrized by matching densities of 19-mers of PEG and polyethylene oxide (PEO) grafted to the bilayer from all-atom simulations. Mixtures of lipids and PEG(Mw = 550, 1250, 2000)-grafted lipids in water self-assembled to liposomes, bicelles, and micelles at different ratios of lipids and PEGylated lipids. Average aggregate sizes decrease with increasing PEGylated-lipid concentration, in qualitative agreement with experiment. PEGylated lipids concentrate at the rims of bicelles, rather than at the planar surfaces; this also agrees with experiment, though the degree of segregation is less than that assumed in previous modeling of the experimental data. Charged lipids without PEG evenly distribute at the rim and planar surface of the bicelle. The average end-to-end distances of the PEG on the PEGylated lipids are comparable in liposomes, bicelles (edge or planar surface), and micelles, and only slightly larger than for an isolated PEG in solution. The ability of PEGylated lipids to induce the membrane curvature by the bulky head group with larger PEG, and thereby modulate the phase behavior and size of lipid assemblies, arises from their relative concentration.

This work describes the synthesis and characterization of novel thermoresponsive highly-branched polyamidoamine-polyethylene glycol-poly (D, L-lactide) (PAMAM-PEG-PDLLA) core-shell nanoparticles. A series of dendritic PEG-PDLLA nanoparticles were synthesized through conjugation of PEG of various chain lengths (1500, 6000, and 12000 g/mol) to polyamidoamine (PAMAM) dendrimer G3.0 and subsequent ring-opening polymerization of DLLA. Ninhydrin assay, 1H-NMR, FT-IR, dynamic light scattering, AFM were used to characterize the structure and compositions of dendritic PEG-PDLLA nanoparticles. Sol-gel phase transition of aqueous dendritic PEG-PDLLA solutions was measured using UV-Vis spectroscocopy. According to our results, dendritic PEG-PDLLA nanoparticles in aqueous solutions can self-assemble into sub-micron/micron aggregates and the size of aggregates is dependent on temperature and PEG-PDLLA chain length. Further, dendritic PEG-PDLLA solutions exhibit sol-gel phase transition with increasing temperature. The constructed dendritic PEG-PDLLA nanoparticles possess high cytocompatibility, which is significantly improved as compared to PAMAM dendrimers. The potential of dendritic PEG-PDLLA nanoparticles for encapsulation of water insoluble drugs such as camptothecin was demonstrated. Dendritic PEG-PDLLA nanoparticles we developed offer greater structural flexibility and provide a novel nanostructured thermoresponsive carrier for drug delivery.

Mango peel is a good source of protease but remains an industrial waste. This study focuses on the optimization of polyethylene glycol (PEG)/dextran-based aqueous two-phase system (ATPS) to purify serine protease from mango peel. The activity of serine protease in different phase systems was studied and then the possible relationship between the purification variables, namely polyethylene glycol molecular weight (PEG, 4000–12,000 g·mol−1), tie line length (−3.42–35.27%), NaCl (−2.5–11.5%) and pH (4.5–10.5) on the enzymatic properties of purified enzyme was investigated. The most significant effect of PEG was on the efficiency of serine protease purification. Also, there was a significant increase in the partition coefficient with the addition of 4.5% of NaCl to the system. This could be due to the high hydrophobicity of serine protease compared to protein contaminates. The optimum conditions to achieve high partition coefficient (84.2) purification factor (14.37) and yield (97.3%) of serine protease were obtained in the presence of 8000 g·mol−1 of PEG, 17.2% of tie line length and 4.5% of NaCl at pH 7.5. The enzymatic properties of purified serine protease using PEG/dextran ATPS showed that the enzyme could be purified at a high purification factor and yield with easy scale-up and fast processing.

In this study, noncovalent functionalization of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) with phospholipid-polyethylene glycols (Pl-PEGs) was performed to improve the solubility of SWCNTs in aqueous solution. Two kinds of PEG derivatives, ie, Pl-PEG 2000 and Pl-PEG 5000, were used for the PEGylation process. An experimental design technique (D-optimal design and second-order polynomial equations) was applied to investigate the effect of variables on PEGylation and the solubility of SWCNTs. The type of PEG derivative was selected as a qualitative parameter, and the PEG/SWCNT weight ratio and sonication time were applied as quantitative variables for the experimental design. Optimization was performed for two responses, aqueous solubility and loading efficiency. The grafting of PEG to the carbon nanostructure was determined by thermogravimetric analysis, Raman spectroscopy, and scanning electron microscopy. Aqueous solubility and loading efficiency were determined by ultraviolet-visible spectrophotometry and measurement of free amine groups, respectively. Results showed that Pl-PEGs were grafted onto SWCNTs. Aqueous solubility of 0.84 mg/mL and loading efficiency of nearly 98% were achieved for the prepared Pl-PEG 5000-SWCNT conjugates. Evaluation of functionalized SWCNTs showed that our noncovalent functionalization protocol could considerably increase aqueous solubility, which is an essential criterion in the design of a carbon nanotube-based drug delivery system and its biodistribution.

This paper presents the evaluation of an aqueous two-phase system (ATPS) for extracting elastase produced by Bacillus sp. EL31410. The elastase and cell partition behavio r in polyethylene glycol (PEG)/salt systems was investigated. The suitable system for elastase extraction was PEG/KH2PO4-K2HPO4, in which elastase is mainly partitioned into the PEG-rich phase, while the cells remained in the other phase. The influence of defined system parameters (e.g. PEG molecular mass, pH, NaCl addition) on the partitioning behavior of elastase is described. The concentration of phase forming components, PEG and KH2PO4-K2HPO4, was optimized for elastase recovery by means of response surface methodology, and it was found that they greatly influenced extraction recovery. The optimal ATPS was 23.1% (w/w) PEG 2 000 and 11.7% (w/w) KH2PO4-K2HPO4. The predicted recovery was about 89.5%, so this process is suggested to be a rapid and convenient method for elastase extraction.

Surface protein modification with poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) can inhibit acute thrombosis on damaged vascular and biomaterial surfaces by blocking surface protein–platelet interactions. However, the feasibility of employing protein reactive PEGs to limit intravascular and biomaterial thrombosis in vivo is contingent upon rapid and extensive surface protein modification. To characterize the factors controlling this potential therapeutic approach, the model protein bovine serum albumin was adsorbed onto polyurethane surfaces and modified with PEG-carboxymethyl succinimidyl ester (PEG-NHS), PEG-isocyanate (PEG-ISO), or PEG-diisocyanate (PEG-DISO) in aqueous buffer at varying concentrations and contact times. It was found that up to 5 PEGs could be attached per albumin molecule within one min and that adsorbed albumin PEGylation approached maximal levels by 6 min. The lability of reactive PEGs in aqueous buffer reduced total protein modification by 50% when the PEG solution was incubated for 7 min prior to application. For fibrinogen PEGylation (performed in the solution phase), PEG-NHS was more reactive than PEG-ISO or PEG-DISO. The γ peptide of fibrinogen, which contains several key platelet-binding motifs, was highly modified. A marked reduction in platelet adhesion was observed on fibrinogen-adsorbed polyurethane treated with PEG-NHS or PEG-DISO. Relative differences in platelet adhesion on PEG-NHS and PEG-DISO modified surfaces could be attributed to differences in reactivity towards fibrinogen and the size of the polymer backbone. Taken together, these findings provide insight and guidance for applying protein reactive PEGs for the interruption of acute thrombotic deposition.

Polyethylene glycol (PEG)-coupled oligonucleotides are partitioned in an aqueous two-phase system PEG/dextran. The affinity of the oligonucleotide for the PEG-rich phase increases proportionally to the length of the coupled PEG polymer. After hybridization, the PEG-coupled oligonucleotide is able to force a complementary nucleic acid strand into the PEG-rich phase. This property can be used for the sequence-specific isolation of nucleic acids through hybridization-based affinity partitioning. The dependence of the partition coefficient in this system on various parameters is described. The application of this principle to multistage chromatographic separations is demonstrated.

Surface-modification of amine-terminated polyamidoamine (PAMAM) dendrimers by poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) groups generally enhances water-solubility and biocompatibility for drug delivery applications. In order to provide guidelines for designing appropriate dendritic scaffolds, a series of G3 PAMAM-PEG dendrimer conjugates was synthesized by varying the number of PEG attachments and chain length (shorter PEG550 and PEG750 and longer PEG2000). Each conjugate was purified by size exclusion chromatography (SEC) and the molecular weight (MW) was determined by 1H NMR integration and matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS). NOESY experiments performed in D2O on selected structures suggested no penetration of PEG chains to the central PAMAM domain, regardless of chain length and degree of substitution. CHO cell cultures exposed to PAMAM-PEG derivatives (≤ 1 µM) showed a relatively high cell viability. Generally, increasing the degree of PEG substitution reduced cytotoxicity. Moreover, compared to G3 PAMAM dendrimers that were N-acetylated to varying degrees, a lower degree of surface substitution with PEG was needed for a similar cell viability. Interestingly, when longer PEG2000 was fully incorporated on the surface, cell viability was reduced at higher concentrations (32 µM), suggesting increased toxicity potentially by forming intermolecular aggregates. A similar observation was made for anionic carboxylate G5.5 PAMAM dendrimer at the same dendrimer concentration. Our findings suggest that a lower degree of peripheral substitution with shorter PEG chains may suffice for these PAMAM-PEG conjugates to serve as efficient universal scaffolds for drug delivery, particularly valuable in relation to targeting or other ligand-receptor interactions.

Competitive adsorption kinetics between thiolated polyethylene glycol (SH-PEG) and mercaptopropionic acid (MPA) on gold nanoparticles (Au-NPs) were studied using a prototype physical characterization approach that combines dynamic light scattering (DLS) and electrospray differential mobility analysis (ES-DMA). The change in hydrodynamic particle size (intensity-average) due to the formation of SH-PEG coatings on Au-NPs were measured by DLS in both two component (Au-NP + MPA or Au-NP + SH-PEG) and three component (Au-NP +MPA + SH-PEG) systems. ES-DMA was employed to quantify the surface coverage of SH-PEG and establish a correlation between surface coverage and the change in particle size measured by DLS. A change in equilibrium binding constant for SH-PEG on Au-NPs at various concentrations of SH-PEG and MPA showed that the presence of MPA reduced the binding affinity of SH-PEG to the Au-NP surface. Kinetic studies showed SH-PEG was desorbed from the Au-NP surface following a second-order desorption model after subsequently introducing MPA. The desorption rate constant of SH-PEG from the Au-NP surface by MPA displacement was strongly affected by the concentration of MPA and the excess SH-PEG in solution.

Double hydrophilic copolymers with one polyethylene glycol (PEG) block and one β-cyclodextrin β-CD) flanking block (PEG-b-PCDs) were synthesized through the post-modification of macromolecules. The self-assembly of PEG-b-PCDs in aqueous solutions was initially studied by a fluorescence technique. This measurement together with AFM and TEM characterization demonstrated the formation of nanoparticles in the presence of lipophilic small molecules. The host-guest interaction between the β-CD unit of a host copolymer and the hydrophobic group of a guest molecule was found to be the driving force for the observed self-assembly. This spontaneous assembly upon loading of guest molecules was also observed for hydrophobic drugs with various chemical structures. Relatively high drug loading was achieved by this approach. Desirable encapsulation was also achieved for the hydrophobic drugs that cannot efficiently interact with free β-CD. In vitro release studies suggested that the payload in nano-assemblies could be released in a sustained manner. In addition, both the fluorescence measurement and the in vitro drug release studies suggested that these nano-assemblies mediated by the inclusion complexation exhibited a chemical sensitivity. The release of payload can be accelerated upon the triggering by hydrophobic guest molecules or free β-CD molecules. These results support the potential applications of the synthesized copolymers for the delivery of hydrophobic drugs.

Two types of 32 arm star polymers incorporating amphiphilic block copolymer arms have been synthesized and characterized. The first type, stPCL-PEG32, is composed of a polyamidoamine (PAMAM) dendrimer as the core with radiating arms having poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) as an inner lipophilic block in the arm and poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) as an outer hydrophilic block. The second type, stPLA-PEG32, is similar but with poly(l-lactide) (PLA) as the inner lipophilic block. Characterization with SEC, 1H NMR, FTIR, and DSC confirmed the structure of the polymers. Micelle formation by both star copolymers was studied by fluorescence spectroscopy. The stPCL-PEG32 polymer exhibited unimolecular micelle behavior. It was capable of solubilizing hydrophobic molecules, such as pyrene, in aqueous solution, while not displaying a critical micelle concentration. In contrast, the association behavior of stPLA-PEG32 in aqueous solution was characterized by an apparent critical micelle concentration of ca. 0.01 mg/mL. The hydrophobic anticancer drug etoposide can be encapsulated in the micelles formed from both polymers. Overall, the stPCL-PEG32 polymer exhibited a higher etoposide loading capacity (up to 7.8 w/w % versus 4.3 w/w % for stPLA-PEG32) as well as facile release kinetics and is more suitable as a potential drug delivery carrier.

Polyethylene glycol (PEG)-surface modification can make nano-materials highly hydrophilic, reducing sequestration in the reticuloendothelial system. In this study, polyamidoamine (PAMAM) dendrimers bearing gadolinium chelates were PEGylated with different PEG-chain lengths and the effects on paramagnetic and pharmacokinetic properties were evaluated. Specifically, gadolinium chelate-bearing PAMAM dendrimers (G4 and G5) were conjugated with two different PEG chains (2k and 5k). Long PEG chains (5k) on the smaller (G4) dendrimer resulted in reduced relaxivity compared to unPEGylated dendrimer whereas short PEG (2k) and larger (G5) dendrimer produced comparable relaxivities to unPEGylated G4 dendrimer. The relaxivity of all PEGylated or lysine conjugated dendrimers increased at higher temperature, while that of intact G4 Gd-PAMAM-dendrimer decreased. All PEGylated dendrimers had minimal liver and kidney uptake and remained in circulation for at least 1 hour. Thus, surface-PEGylated Gd-PAMAM-Dendrimers showed decreased plasma clearance and prolonged retention in the blood pool. Shorter PEG, higher generation conjugates led higher relaxivity.

The purpose of this study was to explore the cryoprotection mechanisms of high molecular weight polyethylene glycols (PEGs) (eg, PEG 4000 and PEG 8000) on lactate dehydrogenase (LDH). Ultraviolet activity assays, circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy, gel filtration, sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE),14C-PEG 4000 labeling and binding, and cryostage microscopic study were conducted. Different molecular weights and concentrations of PEGs in LDH formulations were treated by freeze-thawing. Higher molecular weights and concentrations of PEGs in LDH-PEG formulations obtained better activity and secondary structure recoveries of LDH after freeze-thawing. Insoluble aggregation of LDH was not observed in gel filtration studies. SDS-PAGE results suggested surface characteristic modifications of LDH by the larger molecular weight PEGs. The14C-PEG 4000 labeling and binding study showed extensive nonspecific interactions between the PEG 4000 and LDH molecules in a concentration-dependent manner. The bound LDH-PEG 4000/free PEG 4000 ratio increased when LDH or PEG 4000 concentrations increased. Cryostage microscopic study showed that PEG 8000 delayed the ice crystallization and eutectic transition of LDH formulation. It appeared that multiple mechanisms were at work during PEGs' cryoprotection of LDH. It was unclear whether the delayed eutectic characteristics of PEGs contributed to LDH cryoprotection. The favorable interaction, rather than preferential exclusion, between LDH and PEGs (eg, 4000) cryoprotected LDH.

Crowder molecules in solution alter the equilibrium between folded and unfolded states of biological macromolecules. It is therefore critical to account for the influence of these other molecules when describing the folding of RNA inside the cell. Small angle x-ray scattering experiments are reported on a 64 kDa bacterial group I ribozyme in the presence of polyethylene-glycol 1000 (PEG-1000), a molecular crowder with average molecular weight 1000 Da. In agreement with expected excluded volume effects, PEG favors more compact RNA structures. Firstly, the transition from the unfolded to the folded (more compact) state occurs at lower MgCl2 concentrations in PEG. Secondly, the radius of gyration of the unfolded RNA decreases from 76 Å to 64 Å as the PEG concentration increases from 0 to 20 % wt./vol. Changes to water and ion activities were measured experimentally, and theoretical models were used to evaluate the excluded volume. We conclude that the dominant influence of the PEG crowder on the folding process is the excluded volume effect.

The partition behaviors of β-1,3-1,4-glucanase, α-amylase and neutral proteases from clarified and whole fermentation broths of Bacillus subtilis ZJF-1A5 were investigated. An aqueous two-phase system (polyethylene glycol (PEG)/MgSO4) was examined with regard to the effects of PEG molecular weight (MW) and concentration, MgSO4 concentration, pH and NaCl concentration on enzyme partition and extraction. The MW and concentration of PEG were found to have significant effects on enzyme partition and extraction with low MW PEG showing the greatest benefit in the partition and extraction of β-glucanase with the PEG/MgSO4 system. MgSO4 concentration influenced the partition and extraction of β-glucanase significantly. pH had little effect on β-glucanase or proteases partition but affected α-amylase partition when pH was over 7.0. The addition of NaCl had little effect on the partition behavior of β-glucanase but had very significant effects on the partitioning of α-amylase and on the neutral proteases. The partition behaviors of β-glucanase, α-amylase and proteases in whole broth were also investigated and results were similar to those obtained with clarified fermentation broth. A two-step process for purifying β-glucanase was developed, which achieved β-glucanase recovery of 65.3% and specific activity of 14027 U/mg, 6.6 times improvement over the whole broth.

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Injectable and implantable porosified silicon (pSi) carriers and devices for prolonged and controlled delivery of biotherapeutics offer great promise for treatment of various chronic ailments and acute conditions. Polyethylene glycols (PEGs) are important surface modifiers currently used in clinic mostly to avoid uptake of particlulates by reticulo-endothelial system (RES). In this work we show for the first time that covalent attachment of PEGs to the pSi surface can be used as a means to finely tune degradation kinetics of silicon structures. Seven PEGs with varying molecular weights (245, 333, 509, 686, 1214, 3400 and 5000Da) were employed and the degradation of PEGylated pSi hemispherical microparticles in simulated physiological conditions was monitored by means of ICP-AES, SEM and fluorimetry. Biocompatibility of the systems with human macrophages in vitro was also evaluated. The results clearly indicate that controlled PEGylation of silicon microparticles can offer a sensitive tool to finely tune their degradation kinetics and that the systems do not induce release of proinflammatory cytokines IL-6 and IL-8 in THP1 human macrophages.

In this work, we describe a novel polyamidoamine (PAMAM) dendrimer hydrogel (DH) platform with potential for tissue engineering and drug delivery. With PAMAM dendrimer G3.0 being the underlying carrier, polyethylene glycol (PEG) chains of various lengths (MW=1500, 6000, or 12000 gmol−1) were coupled to the dendrimer to different extents, and the resulting PEGylated PAMAM dendrimers were further coupled with acrylate groups to yield photoreactive dendrimer macromonomers for gel formation. It was found that gelation based on photoreactive PAMAM G3.0 macromonomers was restricted by the degree of PEGylation, PEG chain length, and the distribution of acrylate groups on the dendrimer surface. Further, the architecture of the photoreactive macromonomers affects the structural stability and swelling of the resultant networks. A completely crosslinked network (DH-G3.0–12000H) with a high water swelling ratio was created by UV-curing of PAMAM dendrimer G3.0 coupled with 28 PEG 12000 chains in the presence of the eosin Y-based photoinitiating system. The disintegration of DH-G3.0–12000H was pH-insensitive. DH-G3.0–12000H was found to have similar cytocompatibility to uncrosslinked G3.0–12000H but have a significantly lower cellular uptake by macrophages. With PAMAM dendrimer G3.5 being the underlying carrier, the dendrimer modified with 43 PEG 1500 chains was able to form a completely crosslinked network (DH-G3.50–1500H) by UV-curing in the presence of the eosin Y-based photoinitiating system. DH-G3.50–1500H exhibited pH-dependent disintegration. Its disintegration ratio increased with pH. PAMAM dendrimer hydrogels uniquely express the structural characteristics of both PEG hydrogel and PAMAM dendrimer and have potential for various applications in tissue engineering and drug delivery.

This study concerns the encapsulation and controlled release of both hydrophobic and hydrophilic medications with one polymer, which are delivered together as a combined therapy to treat diseased tissue. To test our hypothesis that the novel PEG-graft-PLA (PEG, polyethylene glycol; PLA, polylactic acid) can deliver both the hydrophobic and hydrophilic medications on account of its amphiphility, charge, and graft structure, PEG-graft-PLA (molecular weight of PEG = 1900) with very low critical micelle concentration was synthesized. One hydrophilic (insulin) and one hydrophobic (naproxen) model medication were loaded in separately during its self-assembly in aqueous solution. The resulting nanoparticles (NPs) were narrowly distributed and spherical, with average particle size around 200 nm, zeta potential >−10 mV, and encapsulation efficiency >50%. The NPs realized controlled release of insulin and naproxen for over 24 and 160 hours, respectively. Specifically, the bioactivity of the insulin released from the NPs was maintained. Owing to encapsulation, both for hydrophobic and hydrophilic medicines, and NPs obtained with similar size and zeta potential, as well as maintenance of bioactivity of loaded protein, we expect the applications of PEG-graft-PLA NPs in combination therapy.

The coverage density of poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) is a key parameter in determining the efficiency of PEGylation, a process pivotal to in vivo delivery and targeting of nanomaterials. Here we report four complementary methods for quantifying the coverage density of PEG chains on various types of Au nanostructures by using a model system based on HS-PEG-NH2 with different molecular weights. Specifically, the methods involve reactions with fluorescamine and ninhydrin, as well as labeling with fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC) and Cu2+ ions. The first two methods use conventional amine assays to measure the number of unreacted HS-PEG-NH2 molecules left behind in the solution after incubation with the Au nanostructures. The other two methods involve coupling between the terminal –NH2 groups of adsorbed -S-PEG-NH2 chains and FITC or a ligand for Cu2+ ion, and thus pertain to the “active” –NH2 groups on the surface of a Au nanostructure. We found that the coverage density decreased as the length of PEG chains increased. A stronger binding affinity of the initial capping ligand to the Au surface tended to reduce the PEGylation efficiency by slowing down the ligand exchange process. For the Au nanostructures and capping ligands we have tested, the PEGylation efficiency decreased in the order of citrate-capped nanoparticles > PVP-capped nanocages ≈ CTAC-capped nanoparticles ≫ CTAB-capped nanorods, where PVP, CTAC, and CTAB stand for poly(vinyl pyrrolidone), cetyltrimethylammonium chloride, and cetyltrimethylammonium bromide, respectively.

Highly compacted DNA nanoparticles (DNPs) composed of polyethylene glycol linked to a 30-mer of poly-L-lysine via a single cysteine residue (CK30PEG) have previously been shown to provide efficient gene delivery to the brain, eyes and lungs. In this study, we used a combination of flow cytometry, high-resolution live-cell confocal microscopy, and multiple particle tracking (MPT) to investigate the intracellular trafficking of highly compacted CK30PEG DNPs made using two different molecular weights of PEG, CK30PEG10k and CK30PEG5k. We found that PEG MW did not have a major effect on particle morphology nor nanoparticle intracellular transport. CK30PEG10k and CK30PEG5k DNPs both entered human bronchial epithelial (BEAS-2B) cells via a caveolae-mediated pathway, bypassing degradative endolysosomal trafficking. Both nanoparticle formulations were found to rapidly accumulate in the perinuclear region of cells within 2 h, 37 ± 19 % and 47 ± 8 % for CK30PEG10k and CK30PEG5k, respectively. CK30PEG10k and CK30PEG5k DNPs moved within live cells at average velocities of 0.09 ± 0.04 µm/s and 0.11 ± 0.04 µm/s, respectively, in good agreement with reported values for caveolae. These findings show that highly compacted DNPs employ highly regulated trafficking mechanisms similar to biological pathogens to target specific intracellular compartments.

Ibuprofen–polyethylene glycol (PEG) conjugates (PEG-Ibu) were prepared and their potential as a prolonged release system was investigated. Two PEG-Ibu conjugates were synthesized from Ibuprofen and PEG with two different molecular weights by esterification in the presence of DCC and DMAP. The PEG-Ibu conjugates were characterized by FT-IR, 1H NMR, Mass spectroscopy and DSC analysis. The solubility study in aqueous system showed an increase in solubility of conjugates. The dissolution / hydrolysis studies showed a specific acid–base catalysis pattern dependent on the pH of the medium. This indicated a good chemical stability in aqueous buffer solution of acidic medium and the extended release behavior was found in both prodrugs after 9 hour. The results demonstrate that, in the same condition, the rate of hydrolysis for PEG4000-Ibu is slower than other. The Writhing induced by acetic acid experiment and paw edema test after oral administration showed that both conjugates had extended analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects compared with Ibuprofen. These results suggest that PEG-Ibu could be a promising NSAID prodrug with an extended pharmacological effect owing to delayed-release of parent drug.

It was found that concentrated polyethylene glycol 400 (PEG 400) solutions have significant antibacterial activity against various pathogenic bacteria, including Klebsiella pneumoniae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli, and Staphylococcus aureus. This effect might be attributed to two effects: lowering of water activity and, superimposed on this, the specific action of PEG-400 molecules on bacterial cells. Phase-contrast microscopic observations of cells placed in contact with PEG 400 revealed clumping and morphological changes of bacterial cells. The larger changes in appearance were evidenced by the species which were more rapidly killed by PEG 400. The results obtained suggested that concentrated PEG 400 solutions may have a potential value in medicine as a topical antibacterial agent. The feasibility of this application is the subject of present investigation.

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We show that DNA molecules of differing molecular mass are separable by selective precipitation with polyethylene glycol (PEG†). Higher molecular mass DNA precipitates at lower PEG concentrations than lower molecular mass DNA. Double-stranded DNA can be fractionated at least in the range of 3 × 107 to 1 × 105 daltons. The effects of PEG concentration, sodium chloride concentration, DNA concentration, pH, divalent ions, precipitation time, and centrifugal force have been determined. These studies show PEG precipitation offers a size fractionation method for DNA which is convenient, of high capacity, and applicable over a wide range of conditions. However, resolution is not high and separation of two species approaches 100% only if they differ in molecular mass by at least a factor of two.

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