Application of Cationic Liposome DOTAP

DOTAP is more often associated with the inclusion of nucleic acids, such as DNA and RNA, than with the inclusion of chemical compounds, such as chemotherapy drugs, as is common in liposomes. So why is DOTAP so widely used in the field of wrapping nucleic acid, especially preparing transfection reagents?

First let's look at transfection. Transfection is a process in which eukaryotic cells acquire new phenotypes by actively or passively introducing foreign nucleic acid fragments, so the role of transfection reagents is to transport DNA, etc., into the cell. Because of its positive charge, cationic liposomes can combine with negatively charged phosphate groups in the structure of nucleic acid to produce static electricity, so as to stably and efficiently wrap DNA. At the same time, cationic liposomes can also be adsorbed by the negatively charged membrane on the surface, and then deliver DNA into the cell through membrane fusion or endocytosis. Based on the same principle, many studies have also used cationic liposomes to encapsulate small nucleic acid drugs, such as antisense oligonucleotides and interfering RNA, etc. Since cationic liposomes themselves also have cytotoxicity, which will interfere with experimental data, attention should be paid to the dosage of DOTAP, and optimization should be carried out in combination with entrapment rate, Zeta potential and other indexes, even animal experiments, during the design of Chu formula.

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