Carbamate-linked cationic lipids for gene delivery

Series of cationic lipids 1a-p, with variable length of hydrocarbon chains, alternative quaternary ammonium heads, carbamate linkages between hydrocarbon chains and quaternary ammonium heads, as well as different anion combined with them, were synthesized for liposome-mediated gene delivery. Two plasmid DNAs, pGL3-control and pGFP-N2, were transferred by cationic liposomes formed from the above cationic lipids into five mammalian cell lines, and the transfection efficiency of some of the cationic liposomes was superior or parallel to that of two commercial transfection agents, Lipofectamine2000 and Sofast.