in vivo-jetPEI^® ligand-conjugated derivatives are designed to enhance delivery to cell expressing specific receptors:

in vivo-jetPEI^®-Gal is a galactose-conjugated in vivo-jetPEI™ designed to enhance delivery to cells expressing galactose-specific membrane lectins, such as the asialoglycoprotein receptor (ASGP-R or Gal/GalNAc receptor);

in vivo-jetPEI^®-Man is a mannose-conjugated in vivo-jetPEI™ designed to enhance delivery to cells expressing mannose-specific membrane receptors.

Labeled in vivo-jetPEI^® transfection reagents are designed for biodistribution studies using fluorescent labeling:

in vivo-jetPEI^®-FluoF: a fluorescein-conjugated linear polyethylenimine derivative (green label, excitation at 490 nm; emission at 520 nm);

in vivo-jetPEI^®-FluoR (Fig. 1): a tetramethylrhodamine-conjugated linear polyethylenimine derivative (red label, excitation at 555 nm; emission at 580 nm).

Figure 1. Biodistribution of fluorescent complexes in the lungs after intravenous administration . in vivo-jetPEI®-FluoR/DNA complexes were injected in the tail vein of C57Bl6 mice.Mice were sacrified 6 hrs after injection and the lungs were collected. Cryosections of the lungs were visualized by fluorescence microscopy (Courtesy J-L Coll).

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY:
The use of  polyethylenimine (PEI) or polypropylenimine (PPI) or cationic polymers similar in structure thereto for transfecting cells, as well as compositions comprising these cationic polymers and at least one nucleic acid, are the subject matter of U.S. Patent No. 6,013,240, EP Patent No. 0770140 and foreign equivalents, for which Polyplus-transfection™ is the worldwide exclusive licensee.