Synthesis and transfection activity of novel galactosylated polycationic lipid.

In this study, we synthesized a new galactosylated cationic lipid and investigated its biological activity. The structure of lipid combines both spermine residue for DNA compaction and galactose moiety for the improvement of aggregation behavior of lipoplexes. Lipid was low toxic for different mammalian cells, and was able both to compact plasmid DNA and to mediate cellular accumulation of various nucleic acids (ODN, pDNA and siRNA) exhibiting biological activity (transgene expression, gene silencing).