title: Polycation-mediated integrated cell death processes.
abstract: One of the major challenges in the field of nucleic acid delivery is the design of delivery vehicles with attributes that render them safe as well as efficient in transfection. To this end, polycationic vectors have been intensely investigated with native polyethylenimines (PEIs) being the gold standard. PEIs are highly efficient transfectants, but depending on their architecture and size they induce cytotoxicity through different modes of cell death pathways. Here, we briefly review dynamic and integrated cell death processes and pathways, and discuss considerations in cell death assay design and their interpretation in relation to PEIs and PEI-based engineered vectors, which are also translatable for the design and studying the safety of other transfectants.
authors.affiliation: Nanomedicine Research Group and Centre for Pharmaceutical Nanotechnology and Nanotoxicology, Department of Pharmacy, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen Ø, Denmark; NanoScience Centre, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen Ø, Denmark.
authors.forename: Ladan
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Parhamifar
authors.affiliation: Nanomedicine Research Group and Centre for Pharmaceutical Nanotechnology and Nanotoxicology, Department of Pharmacy, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen Ø, Denmark.
authors.forename: Helene
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Andersen
authors.affiliation: Nanomedicine Research Group and Centre for Pharmaceutical Nanotechnology and Nanotoxicology, Department of Pharmacy, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen Ø, Denmark; NanoScience Centre, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen Ø, Denmark.
authors.forename: Linping
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: Nanomedicine Research Group and Centre for Pharmaceutical Nanotechnology and Nanotoxicology, Department of Pharmacy, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen Ø, Denmark.
authors.forename: Arnaldur
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hall
authors.affiliation: Centre for BioNano Interactions School of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin, Ireland.
authors.forename: Diana
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Hudzech
authors.affiliation: Nanomedicine Research Group and Centre for Pharmaceutical Nanotechnology and Nanotoxicology, Department of Pharmacy, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen Ø, Denmark; NanoScience Centre, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen Ø, Denmark; Department of Translation Imaging, Houston Methodist Research Institute, Houston Methodist Hospital Systems, Houston, TX, USA.
authors.forename: Seyed Moien
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Moghimi
mesh_terms: D023102:Anoikis / Q000187:drug effects; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D001343:Autophagy / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism; D016923:Cell Death / Q000187:drug effects*; D059865:Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress / Q000187:drug effects; D005822:Genetic Vectors / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006801:Humans; D008247:Lysosomes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D008928:Mitochondria / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D050997:Nanomedicine / Q000379:methods; D009336:Necrosis; D011073:Polyamines; D000071228:Polyelectrolytes; D011094:Polyethyleneimine / Q000008:administration & dosage; D014162:Transfection
chemical_list: D002118:Calcium; D011073:Polyamines; D000071228:Polyelectrolytes; D011094:Polyethyleneimine
keywords: Apoptosis; Autophagy; Cell death; Nanomedicine; Necrosis; Polycations; Polyethylenimine