TRANSFECTION OF CULTURED MYOBLASTS IN HIGH SERUM CONCENTRATION WITH DODAC-DOPE LIPOSOMES

The inhibitory effect of serum is one of the main obstacles to the in vivo use of cationic liposomes as a DNA delivery system. We have found that a novel liposome formulation, DODAC:DOPE (1:1) is totally resist ant to the inhibitory effects of serum for transfection of cultured my oblasts and myotubes. Transfection with a lacZ reporter gene in the pr esence of 95% fetal bovine serum gave up to 25% beta-gal-positive cell s in C2C12 myoblasts and about six-fold less in primary human myoblast s. The lower transgene expression in primary cells does not appear to be a result of less DNA uptake but might result from differences in in tracellular trafficking of the complexes. DODAC-based liposomes are un ique in their resistance to serum inhibition and may therefore be valu able for the systemic delivery of genetic information to muscle and ot her tissues.