Polycations such as polyethylenimine (PEI) are used in many novel nonviral vector designs and there are continuous efforts to increase our mechanistic understanding of their interactions with cells. Even so, the mechanism of polyplex escape from the endosomal/lysosomal pathway after internalization is still elusive. The "proton sponge " hypothesis remains the most generally accepted mechanism, ...

A tumor-targeting antisense oligodeoxynucleotide (ODN) delivery system based on polyelectrolyte complex (PEC) micelles is demonstrated. ODN-PEG-folic acid (ODN-PEG-FA) was synthesized using a heterofunctional PEG linker. The PEC micelles for the targeted ODN delivery to tumor cells were produced by ionic interactions between the ODN-PEG-FA and polyethylenimine (PEI). The in vivo targeting prope...

The miscibility of carboxymethyl chitosan/polyethylenimine (CMCS/PEI) blends was analyzed by FT-IR, TGA and SEM. Defect-free CMCS/PEI blend membranes were prepared with polysulfone (PSf) ultrafiltration membranes as support layer for the separation of CO(2)/N(2) mixtures. The results demonstrate that the CMCS/PEI blend is miscible, due to the hydrogen bonding interaction between the two targete...

RNA interference (RNAi)-based strategies that mediate the specific knockdown of target genes by administration of small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) could be applied for treatment of presently incurable neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson's disease. However, inefficient delivery of siRNA into neurons hampers in vivo application of RNAi. We have previously established the 4-12 kDa branched...

Wastewater irrigation is a very important resource for heavy metal pollution in soil and then accumulation in vegetable crops. In this study, a polyethylenimine (PEI)-grafted gelatin sponge was prepared to effectively adsorb heavy metals during wastewater irrigation. Based on the strong water adsorption ability, wastewater remained in the PEI-grafted gelatin sponge for a sufficient time for the...

BACKGROUND Effective gene transfection without serum deprivation is a prerequisite for successful stem cell-based gene therapy. Polyethylenimine (PEI) is an efficient nonviral gene vector, but its application has been hindered by serum sensitivity and severe cytotoxicity. METHODS To solve this problem, a new family of lipopolyplexes was developed by coating PEI/DNA polyplexes with three serum...

Low transfection efficiency is always an issue when cationic polymers are used as a nonviral gene vector in the physiological condition, especially in the presence of proteins. A cationic magnetic nanoparticle (MNP) may be an alternative to solve this problem because a magnetic field can help to attract the MNP and internalize it into cells. The aim of this study was to determine the potency of...

Systemic administration of chemotherapy for cancer often faces drug resistance, limiting its applications in cancer therapy. In this study, we developed a simple multifunctional nanocarrier based on polyethylenimine (PEI) to codeliver doxorubicin (DOX) and BCL2 small interfering RNA (siRNA) for overcoming multidrug resistance (MDR) and enhancing apoptosis in MCF-7/Adr cancer cells by combining ...

We explored the impact of quantum dot (QD) coat characteristics on NP stability, uptake, and translocation in Arabidopsis thaliana, and subsequent transfer to primary consumers, Trichoplusia ni (T. ni). Arabidopsis was exposed to CdSe/CdZnS QDs with three different coatings: Poly(acrylic acid-ethylene glycol) (PAA-EG), polyethylenimine (PEI) and poly(maleic anhydride-alt-1-octadecene)-poly(ethy...

Antimicrobial photodynamic inactivation is considered a promising antimicrobial approach that may not develop resistance in the near future. Here, we investigate influence of photosensitizer chlorophyllin (CHL) and cationic permeabilizer polyethylenimine (PEI), exposed to red light-emitting diode, on human pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa free-living planktonic cells, sessile biofilm persister c...