Molecular Mechanisms Underlying Cell Death Caused by Cationic Polymers

Cationic polymers have frequently been used as nonviral vectors for delivering nucleic acids. Despite their fairly high transfection activity, the well-known cytotoxicity of cationic polymers remains a key obstacle for their use in clinical applications. Due to the dynamic and complicated characteristics of cell death, interpretations of the cell death mechanisms induced by cationic polymers have been inconclusive and the exact molecular mechanisms of cell death induced by cationic polymers are not generally well understood. Therefore, the aim of this review is to discuss the molecular mechanisms underlying cell death caused by cationic polymers, with hope that it may provide a deeper insight into those mechanisms.