Cationic Lipids (Transfection)
Important factors to consider when attempting to develop RNA-based therapeutics include the stability of RNA outside of a cellular environment and delivery of the RNA to the cytoplasm of a cell. Lipid-promoted nanoparticle formulations are promising, powerful delivery systems for small RNA and mRNA therapeutics. Ionizable cationic lipids are key components in lipid-promoted nanoparticle formulations. Cationic lipids have the ability to form aggregate complexes with anionic genetic materials such as DNA or RNA. These aggregated liposomal structures have a positive surface charge when in aqueous solutions. The positively charged surface mediates the interaction of RNA and the cell membrane and allows the introduction of RNA to the cell due to the inability to distinguish the liposome from the cell membrane. Advantages of cationic lipid-mediated transfection include high efficiency, ability to transfect a wide range of cell types, reproducibility, low toxicity, and simplicity.
Avanti currently offers several cationic lipids including multivalent cationic lipid, DOTMA, ethyl PC’s, DDAB, pH sensitive lipids, DOTAP, DC-cholesterol, GL67, and DODMA. With a wide variety of cationic lipids, Avanti would love to assist you with your liposomal transfection research.
Reference:
Kumar Rajappan, Steven P. Tanis, Rajesh Mukthavaram, Scott Roberts, Michelle Nguyen, Kiyoshi Tachikawa, Amit Sagi, Marciano Sablad, Pattraranee Limphong, Angel Leu, Hailong Yu, Padmanabh Chivukula, Joseph E. Payne, and Priya Karmali. Journal of Medicinal Chemistry 2020 63 (21), 12992-13012. DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.0c01407