LIPIDS AND LIPID ASSEMBLIES COMPRISING TRANSFECTION ENHANCER ELEMENTS

摘要

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide improved non-viral carrier systems for in vivo, in vitro or ex vivo delivery of activators to cells, particularly mammalian cells.SOLUTION: The invention provides lipid assemblies comprising transfection enhancer elements (TEEs) complexed with the lipid assemblies using ionic interactions. The TEEs are represented by the formula [(hydrophobic moiety)-(pH sensitive hydrophilic moiety)]. The pH sensitive hydrophilic moiety is weak acids having a pKa between 2 and 6, or lipids with a zwitterionic structure comprising a combination of acidic groups with weak bases and having a pKa between 3 and 8 (lipids-TEE).