BiCellFectamax Transfection Reagent

Liposome is a common transfection approach used to transfect DNA or RNA into in vitro cell cultures by lipofection. Liposome entraps the transfected payload, e.g. DNA or RNA in an aqueous environment.

Common liposome reagents consist of a 3:1 mixture of DOSPA (2,3‐dioleoyloxy‐N‐ [2(sperminecarboxamido)ethyl]‐N,N‐dimethyl‐1‐propaniminium trifluoroacetate) and DOPE (1,2-Dioleoyl-sn-glycerophosphoethanolamine), which complexes with negatively charged nucleic acid molecules to allow them to overcome the electrostatic repulsion of the cell membrane.

BiCellFectamax Transfection Reagent exploited recent improvements in lipofection by modifying liposome surface chemistry with polyethylene glycol (PEG). PEG coating offers several advantages to lipofection. First, PEGylated liposomes demonstrate greater transfection efficiencies as compared to liposomes lacking such surface attachments. Second, PEGylated liposomes display improved stabilities in the presence of serum, which is a particularly important feature for in vivo applications. Last, PEGylated liposomes are less likely to aggregate or form multilamellar vesicles that are morphological evolution due to vesicle-to-vesicle collision.