Advantages and disadvantages of DOTMA in RNA liposomes

In this issue of AVT editor, I will tell you about the advantages and disadvantages of using DOTMA phospholipids in RNA liposomes. Interested friends come to watch!
DOTMA is widely used in non-viral gene transfection, such as Invitrogen's transfection reagent Lipofectin, which has higher transfection efficiency and less cytotoxicity than DOTAP, DC-CHOL, DODMA, etc. Therefore, DOTMA has been increasingly studied in the development of pharmaceutical cationic liposomes.
The molecular structure of DOTMA has the characteristic of "larger tail, smaller head", which is better than DC-CHOL and DOEPC in terms of liposome microscopic morphology, in vivo stability and phase interaction with cell membrane, etc. DOTAP also has similar structural properties, but the efficiency of DOTAP for DNA/RNA packaging is also higher. The effect of RNA liposomes is closely related to the saturation of cationic lipids (number of double bonds), side chain length, head group, N valence state and other factors, and DOTMA combines the advantages of these aspects, so it is very safe. Good application properties. General prescription designed for use in combination with cholesterol, PC-like phospholipids and PEGylated lipids.

Other application advantages and disadvantages of DOTMA are organized as follows.
Advantages:
High efficiency of nucleic acid encapsulation, and the encapsulation rate of RNA in RNA/DOTMA lipid complex can reach 100%;
 Gene transfection efficiency is high, some cells can be more than 10 times higher than DOTAP prescription;
 Less cytotoxicity and good safety;
Can be mass-produced in GMP.
Disadvantages:
The price is higher;
The transfection efficiency is not as good as DLin-MC3-DMA and other ionizable cationic lipids;
It is still in the laboratory research stage and there are no clinical products.
Chart quoted from:
R Kolašinac, C Kleusch. Deciphering the Functional Composition of Fusogenic Liposomes. Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2018, 19(2), 346.