Reducible amino acid based cationic lipids with a naphthalimide moiety as non-viral gene vehicles

Reducible cationic lipids for gene transfer.

One of the main challenges of gene therapy remains the increase of gene delivery into eukaryotic cells. We tested whether intracellular DNA release, an essential step for gene transfer, could be facilitated by using reducible cationic DNA-delivery vectors. For this purpose, plasmid DNA was complexed with cationic lipids bearing a disulphide bond. This reduction-sensitive linker is expected to b...

Non-Viral Gene Delivery Systems Based on Cholesterol Cationic Lipids: Structure-Activity Relationships

A naphthalimide-based [12]aneN3 compound as an effective and real-time fluorescence tracking non-viral gene vector.

A novel bifunctional naphthalimide-based [12]aneN3 compound 1 was successfully applied as an effective non-viral gene vector in cancer cells, the fluorescence properties of 1 clearly demonstrated the process of cellular uptake, DNA translocation and release based on real-time fluorescence tracking.

Cationic Amino Acid Transporters

We have identified the third member of a family of cationic amino acid transporters in lipopolysaccharidestimulated murine macrophages. The deduced amino acid sequence of this transporter is the same as MCAT-2 (mouse cationic amino acid transporter-Z), the low affinity transporter expressed in hepatocytes, except for a stretch of 41 amino acids that connects the eighth and ninth membrane-spanni...

Chitosan nanoparticles as non-viral gene delivery vehicles based on atomic force microscopy study.

Chitosan (CS), a biocompatible and biodegradable material, can act as a non-viral delivery vehicle with low toxicity. In this study, plasmid DNA (pDNA) and siRNA were encapsulated in CS nanoparticles (NPs) to prepare CS-DNA and CS-siRNA NPs using a complex coacervation process. The CS-DNA particle size was within the range of 180-370 nm with a surface charge ranging from 0 to 18 mV at pH 5.5. T...