Tumour gene expression from C12 spermine amphiphile gene delivery systems

Gene therapy requires safe and efficient gene delivery systems. Towards this aim both the gene formulation and tumour transfection ability of C12 spermine amphiphiles were tested. Five amphiphiles were synthesised and characterised: 1-[N,N-bis(3-aminopropyl)-1,4-butane diamine] dodecane (12G0--a C12 spermine amphiphile), a poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG, MW = 2 kDa) derivative of 12G0, 1,12-[N,N-bis(3-aminopropyl)-1,4-butane diamine] dodecane (12G1--a C12 spermine bolaamphiphile) and N-methyl quaternary ammonium derivatives of both 12G0 (12QG0) and 12G1 (12QG1). All amphiphiles except 12G0, which precipitates, yield nanoparticles in aqueous media with and without DNA. Thus when 12G0 is substituted with either quaternary ammonium or PEG groups it forms nanoparticles both with and without DNA. The minimum nitrogen, phosphate ratio required to completely condense DNA (NP) was inversely proportional to the particles' zeta potential (zeta), NP = 1626/zeta(0.98). Biological testing showed that both PEG and quaternary ammonium groups diminished the membrane lytic ability of these C12 amphiphiles. On intratumoural injection, while PEG groups hamper gene transfer, the quaternary ammonium amphiphile (12QG0) produces tumour confined gene expression that is 80% of that produced by linear poly(ethylenimine) (LPEI, MW = 22 kDa); while the intratumoural injection of LPEI produced significant gene expression in the liver and lung, making 12QG0 suitable for the administration of cytotoxic tumouricidal genes.