title: Strategies for the preparation of synthetic transfection vectors.
abstract: In the late 1980s independent work by Felgner and Behr pioneered the use of cationic materials to complex and deliver nucleic acids into eukaryotic cells. Since this time, a vast number of synthetic transfection vectors, which are typically divided into two main "transfectors", have been developed namely: (1) cationic lipids and (2) polycationic polymers. In this chapter the main synthetic approaches used for the synthesis of these compounds will be reviewed with particular attention paid to: cationic lipids and dendrimers. This review is aimed primarily at the younger audience of doctoral students and non-specialist readers.
authors.affiliation: School of Chemistry, University of Edinburgh, West Mains Road, Edinburgh EH9 3JJ, UK. asier.ub@ed.ac.uk
authors.forename: Asier
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Unciti-Broceta
authors.forename: Matthew N
authors.initials: MN
authors.lastname: Bacon
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bradley
mesh_terms: D002412:Cations / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D050091:Dendrimers / Q000138:chemical synthesis* / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D008055:Lipids / Q000138:chemical synthesis* / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D015394:Molecular Structure; D009696:Nucleic Acids / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D014162:Transfection / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D002412:Cations; D050091:Dendrimers; D008055:Lipids; D009696:Nucleic Acids