Serum Compatible Spermine-Based Cationic Lipids with Nonidentical Hydrocarbon Tails Mediate High Transfection Efficiency

Abstract

Cationic lipids are widely used as nonviral synthetic vectors for gene delivery as a safer alternative to viral vectors. In this work, a library of L-shaped spermine-based cationic lipids with identical and nonidentical hydrophobic chains having variable carbon lengths (from C10 to C18) was designed and synthesized. These lipids were characterized and the structure-activity relationships of these compounds were determined for DNA binding and transfection ability when formulated as cationic liposomes. The liposomes were then used successfully for the transfection of HEK293T, HeLa, PC3, H460, HepG2, SH-SY5Y and Calu’3 cell lines. The transfection efficiency of lipids with nonidentical hydrocarbon chains was greater than the identical analogue. These reagents exhibited superior efficiency to the commercial reagent, Lipofectamine3000, under both serum-free and 10–40 % serum conditions in HEK293T, HeLa and H460 cell lines. The lipids were not toxic to the tested cell line. The results suggest that L-shaped spermine-based cationic lipids with nonidentical hydrocarbon tails could serve as efficient and safe nonviral vector gene carriers in further in vivo studies.