Release characteristics of a model plasmid DNA encapsulated in biodegradable poly(ethylene glycol fumarate)/acrylamide hydrogel microspheres

Biodegradable hydrogel microspheres were synthesized by free radical suspension copolymerization of poly(ethylene glycol fumarate) macromer with bisacrylamide (PEGF/PAM). The acidic initiator ammonium persulphate in combination with the basic accelerator, N,N,N′,N′-tetramethyethylenediamine, were used to form the PEGF/PAM hydrogel at a neutral pH. The equilibrium water content of the microspheres was greater than 90% w/w. A model double stranded plasmid DNA (dsDNA) coding for the enhanced green fluorescence protein (pEGFP) gene was encapsulated in the hydrogel and the effect of loading and water content before swelling on release kinetics was investigated. Fluorescent confocal microscopy demonstrated that the encapsulated dsDNA was in the biologically active double stranded configuration. The highest loading of 0.81?mg?ml^?1 resulted in the best encapsulation efficiency of 95%. For that loading, 6% of the dsDNA was released in 25 days at a rate of 16?ng?ml^?1. The highest water content of 70% resulted in the highest burst release of 27% and 14% of the dsDNA was released in 25 days at a rate of 30?ng?ml^?1. For elucidating the release mechanism, the network mesh size was compared with the radius of gyration (R_g) of the dsDNA plasmid. The mesh size was 7?nm, which was less than R_g of the dsDNA (31?nm) but greater than the chain diameter of 1.1?nm. Since the mesh size was less than R_g, the release mechanism was by reptation of the segments of dsDNA within the tube formed by the network chains between crosslinks. These results indicate that the hydrogel mesh size and the size of the plasmid control the release mechanism.