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
References
- 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, 10.1080/09205063.2015.1057991.
- 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, 10.3390/polym12071508.
- 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, 10.1002/pi.5943.
- 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, 10.1080/09205063.2017.1328730.
- 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, 10.1007/s10118-015-1644-9.