Ionizable lipids based on branched fatty acids - An explorative study on Langmuir monolayers

Ionizable lipids are a class of pharmaceutical excipients with a main application in lipid nanoparticles for nucleic acid delivery. New ionizable lipids are needed to tune characteristics of lipid-based nucleic acid delivery systems, e.g. stability, nucleic acid loading capacity and binding strength, as well as bio-distribution. Herein, we present the synthesis of three novel ionizable lipids as putative excipients for lipid-based nucleic acid delivery systems. Langmuir monolayer experiments with classical surface pressure/area isotherm evaluation were used to understand the self-assembly behavior of the lipids. Additional experiments with surface sensitive techniques, namely grazing incidence x-ray scattering and infrared reflection-absorption spectroscopy (IRRAS), were performed to understand structural characteristics of lipid associates. The latter technique was also used to investigate the nucleic acid binding process between DNA and the ionizable lipids. Finally, first transfection experiments with the novel lipids formulated as cationic liposomes were performed providing first efficacy data. Although the alkyl chain pattern was comparable for all three ionizable lipids, the results demonstrated that with increasing head-group size the DNA binding capacity changed and the alkyl chain fluidity was increased. The lipid with the lowest phase transition temperature and the smallest packing parameter showed the highest DNA transfer efficiency.

Tris(2-aminoethyl)amine-based α-branched fatty acid amides - Synthesis of lipids and comparative study of transfection efficiency of their lipid formulations

The synthesis of a new class of cationic lipids, tris(2-aminoethyl)amine-based α-branched fatty acid amides, is described resulting in a series of lipids with specific variations in the lipophilic as well as the hydrophilic part of the lipids. In-vitro structure/transfection relationships were established by application of complexes of these lipids with plasmid DNA (pDNA) to different cell lines. The α-branched fatty acid amide bearing two tetradecyl chains and two lysine molecules (T14diLys) in mixture with the co-lipid 1,2-di-[(9Z)-octadec-9-enoyl]-sn-glycero-3-phosphoethanolamine (DOPE) (1/2, n/n) exhibits effective pDNA transfer in three different cell lines, namely Hep-G2, A549, and COS-7. The presence of 10% serum during lipoplex incubation of the cells did not affect the transfection efficiency. Based on that, detailed investigations of the complexation of pDNA with the lipid formulation T14diLys/DOPE 1/2 (n/n) were carried out with respect to particle size and charge using dynamic light scattering (DLS), ζ-potential measurements, and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Additionally, the lipoplex uptake was investigated by confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM). Overall, lipoplexes prepared from T14diLys/DOPE 1/2 (n/n) offer large potential as lipid-based polynucleotide carriers and further justify advanced examinations.

Effects of tail alkyl chain length (n), head group structure and junction (Z) on amphiphilic properties of 1-Z-R-D,L-xylitol compounds (R = CnH2n+1)

In the family of 1-Z-R-D,L-xylitol, we have determined the main amphiphilic properties of esters (Z = OCO) as a function of alkyl chain length (R = CnH2n+1, n = 4-17). A classical decrease of critical micelle concentration with the increase in the alkyl chain has been found. With water, esters displayed lamellar phases at temperatures of 25 degrees C or higher. The extent of hydrophilic/lipophilic balance range obtained by emulsification method can be proven to be of interest for pharmaceutical applications. The results were compared with those obtained in previous investigations, i.e. for alkyl-substituted xylitol, with thioether (Z=S) and ether (Z=O) linking groups in order to discuss the role of the junction nature. Likewise, they were compiled with the results related to their D-glucose homologues, in order to put forward the effects of the head group configuration, cyclic or acyclic.