Expert opinion on drug deliveryDec 21, 2012

New polyethylenimine-based nanoparticles for delivering genes inside living organisms

mRNA Technology Weekly Brief ↗PubMed ↗DOI ↗

Updated Apr 2, 2026

Abstract

Branched polyethylenimine (PEI) of 25 kDa is considered a gold standard in gene delivery.

Branched and linear PEIs are effective cationic polymers for nucleic acid delivery.
High transfection efficiency is associated with the cationic charge of branched PEIs.
Recent developments aim to enhance PEI-based vectors for therapeutic delivery in vivo.
Animal studies suggest that PEI delivery systems may have potential for human applications.
Further research is needed to assess the toxicity profile and organ-specific targeting of PEI vectors.

Simplified

INTRODUCTION: Branched and linear polyethylenimines (PEIs) are cationic polymers that have been used to deliver nucleic acids both in vitro and in vivo. Owing to the high cationic charge, the branched polymers exhibit high transfection efficiency, and particularly PEI of molecular weight 25 kDa is considered as a gold standard in gene delivery. These polymers have been extensively studied and modified with different ligands so as to achieve the targeted delivery.

AREAS COVERED: The application of PEI in vivo promises to take the polymer-based vector to the next level wherein it can undergo clinical trials and subsequently could be used for delivery of therapeutics in humans. This review focuses on the various recent developments that have been made in the field of PEI-based delivery vectors for delivery of therapeutics in vivo.

EXPERT OPINION: The efficacy of PEI-based delivery vectors in vivo is significantly high and animal studies demonstrate that such systems have a potential in humans. However, we feel that though PEI is a promising vector, further studies involving PEI in animal models are needed so as to get a detailed toxicity profile of these vectors. Also, it is imperative that the vector reaches the specific organ causing little or no undesirable effects to other organs.

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New polyethylenimine-based nanoparticles for delivering genes inside living organisms

Abstract

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