Polymers for DNA delivery

Nucleic acid delivery has many applications in basic science, biotechnology, agriculture, and medicine. One of the main applications is DNA or RNA delivery for gene therapy purposes. Gene therapy, an approach for treatment or prevention of diseases associated with defective gene expression, involves the insertion of a therapeutic gene into cells, followed by expression and production of the required proteins. This approach enables replacement of damaged genes or expression inhibition of undesired genes. Following two decades of research, there are two major methods for delivery of genes. The first method, considered the dominant approach, utilizes viral vectors and is generally an efficient tool of transfection. Attempts, however, to resolve drawbacks related with viral vectors (e.g., high risk of mutagenicity, immunogenicity, low production yield, limited gene size, etc.), led to the development of an alternative method, which makes use of non-viral vectors. This review describes non-viral gene delivery vectors, termed "self-assembled" systems, and are based on cationic molecules, which form spontaneous complexes with negatively charged nucleic acids. It introduces the most important cationic polymers used for gene delivery. A transition from in vitro to in vivo gene delivery is also presented, with an emphasis on the obstacles to achieve successful transfection in vivo.     

Enthalpimetric and thermometric determination of some nitrogen containing bases and some physiologically active alkaloids

Summary The enthalpimetric determination of a series of bases by using the reaction of the bases and sodium tetraphenylboron is described. The accuracy of the method is analytically acceptable, over the range 3×10^–5 moles to 7.5×10^–4 moles. The upper limit is determined by the bulk of the precipitate.Dosage forms of some physiologically active alkaloids contain more than the upper limit of analyte. Yet, preliminary investigations using silicotungstic acid indicate that this is suitable for thermometric titrations.

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Enthalpimetrische und thermometrische Bestimmung stickstoffhaltiger Basen und physiologisch aktiver Alkaloide

Zusammenfassung Die enthalpimetrische Bestimmung einiger N-haltiger Basen erfolgte aufgrund der Reaktion mit Natriumtetraphenyloborat. Die Genauigkeit ist im Bereich von 3 · 10^–5-7,5 · 10^–4 Mol befriedigend. Eine obere Grenze der Anwendbarkeit ergibt sich aus der Menge des anfallenden Niederschlags. Diese wird bei der Bestimmung von Formulierungen einiger physiologisch aktiver Alkaloide überschritten. Jedoch ist in diesem Fall eine thermometrische Titration mit Hilfe von Silicowolframsäure möglich.

Lecture presented at Euroanalysis I Conference, 28. 8.–1. 9. 1972 in Heidelberg, Germany.     

Synthesis of(E)7-[[2-[4-(m-trifluoromethylphenoxy)-3α and 3β-hydroxy-1-butenyl]-5-oxo-1 -pyrrolidinyl]]heptanoic acids

The synthesis of an 8-aza-PGE₁ analog, (E)-7-[[2-[4-(m-trifluoromethylphenoxy)-3α and 3β-hydroxy-1-butenyl]-5-oxo-pyrrolidinyl]]heptanoic acids is reported.     

Overlapping spheres multiple scattering Xα calculations of the ionization potentials and electron affinities of nitrogen oxides

The ionization potentials and electron affinities of a series of nitrogen oxygen compounds have been calculated by the overlapping spheres MS Xα method to assess its applicability on a series for which good experimental data is available. The results for the ionization potentials were satisfactory although a straightforward matching of calculated and experimental IP's without consideration of other criterion would have led to some misassignments. The results for the electron affinities are in excellent agreement with experiment.     

On low temperature fluorescence of perylene crystals

At low temperatures, the broad excimer fluorescence band of α-perylene crystals is replaced by a weakly structured emission at higher energy. This emission originates from a new crystal state (Y-state) which is populated independently of the high temperature excimer (E-state). Due to the temperature dependence of its first order decay rate and due to the thermally activated formation of the E-state, the Y-emission grows rapidly at temperatures below 90 K. The Y-emission differs from the fluorescence of the monomeric β-perylene at 5.5 K by its Stokes shift of 1300 cm^?1, the lack of vibronic structure, the long first order decay time of 40 ns and the absence of bimolecular annihilation indicating a localized state. The Y-state is attributed to a less relaxed pair state formed upon contraction of the dimeric crystal lattice.     

On the synthesis of the N2F+5 cation. A critical comment on the paper by Toy and Stringham.

Toy and Stringham recently reported [1] the synthesis of N₂F⁺₅ (CF₃)₃CO^-, a salt containing the novel pentafluorohydrazinium cation. This cation would be of significant academic and practical interest [2] since it would constitute the first known example of a substituted NF⁺₄ cation, i.e. an NF⁺₄ cation in which a fluorine ligand is replaced by an NF₂ group. According to the authors of [1], N₂F⁺₅(CF₃)₃CO^- was formed in a very unusual reaction involving the transfer of a fluorine cation from (CF₃)₃COF to N₂F₄ according to:

     

Synthese und Röntgenstrukturanalyse des 8π-Elektronenringsystems S4N4O2Sn2(CH3)6 und des magnetische Verhalten von S4N4O2 und S8N8O4

Synthesis and X-Ray Structure Analysis of the 8π-Electron-Ring-System S₄N₄O₂Sn₂(CH₃)₆ and the Magnetic Properties of S₄N₄O₂ and S₈N₈O₄ S₄N₄O₂ reacts with N[Sn(CH₃)₃]₃ in a molar ratio of 1:1 to an eight-membered trimethyltin-substituted 8π-electron skeleton, S₄N₄O₂Sn₂(CH₃)₆. In contrast to known 6π-electronsystems this compound has tin atoms which are tetracoordinated. This was demonstrated on the basis of an x-ray analysis. S₄N₄O₂Sn₂(CH₃)₆ · 1/2 C₆H₆ crystallizes in the space group P2₁/c with a = 1396.0(4), b = 1190.3(4), c = 1256.7(3) pm, and β = 103.46(2)°. It was shown that the ability of coordination at the tin atom depends on the electron density. The magnetic properties of S₄N₄O₂ and S₈N₈O₄ were investigated by the Faraday method. The high diamagnetism in these ring compounds is caused by the π-electrons.     

Automation of the gas analysis of14C-labelled compounds utilizing a piston-type counter tube

In this paper an automatic apparatus designed for the radioactivity measurement of¹⁴C-labelled organic compounds in the gaseous phase is described. The labelled organic compounds are combusted in a mixture of argon and oxygen. After combustion the oxygen content of the gas is eliminated by passing it through a copper packing. The water and heteroelements present are also removed and the radioactive carbon dioxide gas is swept by argon carrier gas into a piston-type counter tube. In the counter tube the piston forming a dividing wall moves forward in accordance with the rate of combustion and sweeping, and thus sucks the gases leaving the combustion tube into the effective tube volume. The anode wire is carried by a reel located in the piston and a spring device ensures its stretched state. At the end of the sweeping period methane is fed into the counter tube and the activity of the argon—methane—carbon dioxide mixture is measured in the limited proportional region. Manual and automatic operation is possible. The piston-type counter tube provides possibility for strandardization by means of extrapolation and for measurement of absolute activities.     

Direct detection of the biradicals generated in the Norrish type II reaction

The biradicals generated in the Norrish type II reaction from the triplet manifold have been observed using laser flash photolysis techniques. The spectra and extinction coefficients closely resemble those of typical ketyl radicals. Typical lifetimes are in the 40–100 ns range depending on the solvent. Their interaction with oxygen is essentially diffusion controlled.     

Trapped electrons in substoichiometric MoO3 observed by X-ray electron spectroscopy

Substoichiometric amorphous thin films of MoO₃ in both the transparent and absorptive forms have been studied by X-ray electron spectroscopy. The transparent films can be colored blue (absorptive) electrically or by UV irradiation. The electron distribution curve of the blue film exhibits a small band near the Fermi edge which is absent in the transparent sample. This new band is attributed to electrons trapped in positively charged anion vacancies in the substoichiometric MoO₃ lattice. This model provides an interpretation of the electrical conductivity and color of the films.