Combinatorial Library of Lipidoids for In Vitro DNA Delivery

A combinatorial library of lipidoids was constructed and studied for in vitro gene delivery. The library of lipidoids was synthesized by reacting commercially available amines with lipophilic acrylates, acrylamides, or epoxides. Lipidoids derived from amine 86 (N,N-bis(2-hydroxyethyl)ethylene diamine) and amine 87 (N-(3-aminopropyl)diethaneamine) showed high efficiency in DNA delivery, some with a higher transfection efficiency than Lipofectamine 2000, a commonly used commercial gold standard for in vitro gene delivery. The structure–activity relationship between the lipidoids was further studied with respect to small variations in chemical structures and the resulting efficiency in DNA delivery in vitro. Since these lipidoids are easy to synthesize and do not require a colipid for efficient DNA delivery, they could offer an inexpensive but effective alternative to other commonly used commercial gene delivery carriers.