Rational approaches to the design of cationic gemini surfactants for gene delivery

We report a new class of amphiphilic gemini surfactants as vehicles for gen e delivery into cells, and the beginnings of a systematic structure-activit y study. Preliminary results suggest that combining gemini surfactants with dioleoylphosphatidylethanolamine (DOPE) should allow the preparation of li posomes of various sizes and lipid compositions. Control of such colloidal changes could be as significant as the changes in the molecular composition of the gemini surfactants in delivering optimum gene expression in animal models.