Photo-Polymerization of AmphiphilicN,O-diacylated Serine-Based Monomers in their Micellar States for an Encapsulation

Cationic micelle: A promising nanocarrier for gene delivery with high transfection efficiency

Micelles have demonstrated an excellent ability to deliver several different types of therapeutic agents, including chemotherapy drugs, proteins, small-interfering RNA and DNA, into tumor cells. Cationic micelles, comprising self-assemblies of amphiphilic cationic polymers, have exhibited tremendous promise with respect to the delivery of therapy genes and gene transfection. To date, research in the field has focused on achieving an enhanced stability of the micellar assembly, prolonged circulation times and controlled release of the gene. This review focuses on the micelles as a nanosized carrier system for gene delivery, the system-related modifications for cytoplasm release, stability and biocompatibility, and clinic trials. In accordance with the development of synthetic chemistry and self-assembly technology, the structures and functionalities of micelles can be precisely controlled, and hence the synthetic micelles not only efficiently condense DNA, but also facilitate DNA endocytosis, endosomal escape, DNA uptake and nuclear transport, resulting in a comparable gene transfection of virus.

Correlation among chemical structure, surface properties and cytotoxicity of N-acyl alanine and serine surfactants

Toxicity is one of the main concerns limiting the use of surfactants. Many efforts have been devoted to the development of new amphiphilic molecules characterized by a lower toxicological profile and environmental impact. N-acyl amino acids are a class of anionic surfactants that can find applications in different technological fields as an alternative to sulphate-based surfactants (e.g., sodium dodecyl sulphate). The understanding of the relationship between chemical structure and toxicological profile is fundamental for the disclosure of the full potential of these amphiphiles. With this aim, two series of N-acyl surfactants, with different length of the hydrophobic tails and serine or alanine as polar head, were synthesized and fully characterized. The correlation between the surface and toxicological parameters allowed highlighting the role exerted by the length of the hydrocarbon chain and the polar head on cytotoxicity. The length of the hydrocarbon chain mainly influences surface properties and toxicological parameters, while the amino acid polar head may play a key role only on cellular toxicity. Overall, our data suggest that minor differences in the polar head, not significantly affecting CMC values, may have an impact on cytotoxicity.