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Zhong, J. Polyethyleneimine. Encyclopedia. Available online: https://encyclopedia.pub/entry/61177 (accessed on 12 November 2026).
Zhong J. Polyethyleneimine. Encyclopedia. Available at: https://encyclopedia.pub/entry/61177. Accessed November 12, 2026.
Zhong, Jack. "Polyethyleneimine" Encyclopedia, https://encyclopedia.pub/entry/61177 (accessed November 12, 2026).
Zhong, J. (2026, October 20). Polyethyleneimine. In Encyclopedia. https://encyclopedia.pub/entry/61177
Zhong, Jack. "Polyethyleneimine." Encyclopedia. Web. 20 October, 2026.

Polyethyleneimine

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Polyethyleneimine is a cationic polymer of repeating amine units, available as a linear or a branched architecture. The branched form carries primary, secondary, and tertiary amines, and it is this mixture that gives a high charge density over a wide pH range [1]. The positive charges condense DNA and RNA into nanoparticles, which is why the polymer is one of the most studied non-viral transfection agents [2]. The same charge density makes it cytotoxic and causes it to bind serum proteins, so the high-molecular-weight forms are usually modified by grafting poly(ethylene glycol) or by reducing the molar mass [3]. Immobilised on a support, the polymer chelates heavy metal ions and captures carbon dioxide, and it also serves to modify membrane surfaces [4]. The transfection efficiency and the cytotoxicity both rise with molar mass, and separating the two has not been achieved [5].

cationic polymer branched polyamine gene delivery transfection charge density chelation cytotoxicity
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References

  1. Li, M.; Li, Y.; Huang, X.; Lu, X. Captopril-polyethyleneimine conjugate modified gold nanoparticles for co-delivery of drug and gene in anti-angiogenesis breast cancer therapy. Journal of Biomaterials Science, Polymer Edition 2015, 26, 813-827. [CrossRef]
  2. Song, I.; Ise, H. Development of a Gene Delivery System of Oligonucleotides for Fibroses by Targeting Cell-Surface Vimentin-Expressing Cells with N-Acetylglucosamine-Bearing Polymer-Conjugated Polyethyleneimine. Polymers 2020, 12, 1508. [CrossRef]
  3. Peng, S.; Wang, Q.; Xiao, X.; Wang, R.; Lin, J.; Zhou, Q.; Wu, L. Redox‐responsive polyethyleneimine‐coated magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles for controllable gene delivery and magnetic resonance imaging. Polymer International 2020, 69, 206-214. [CrossRef]
  4. Nakamura, Y.; Sato, H.; Nobori, T.; Matsumoto, H.; Toyama, S.; Shuno, T.; Kishimura, A.; Mori, T.; Katayama, Y. Modification of ligands for serum albumin on polyethyleneimine to stabilize polyplexes in gene delivery. Journal of Biomaterials Science, Polymer Edition 2017, 28, 1382-1393. [CrossRef]
  5. Zhang, B.; Ma, X.p.; Sui, M.h.; Van Kirk, E.; Murdoch, W.J.; Radosz, M.; Lin, N.m.; Shen, Y.q. Guanidinoamidized linear polyethyleneimine for gene delivery. Chinese Journal of Polymer Science 2015, 33, 908-919. [CrossRef]
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Subjects: Polymer Science
Contributor MDPI registered users' name will be linked to their SciProfiles pages. To register with us, please refer to https://encyclopedia.pub/register : Jack Zhong
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Revisions: 2 times (View History)
Update Date: 20 Oct 2026
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