Highly fluorinated amphiphiles as drug and gene carrier and delivery systems

A short review on fluorinated liposomes made from highly fluorinated double-chain phospho- or glyco-lipids as well as fluorinated lipoplexes, e.g. complexes made from highly fluorinated polycationic lipospermines and a gene, is presented. These systems display a number of interesting physico-chemical and biological properties which make them very attractive alternatives as drug or gene carrying, targeting and delivering devices. The properties of the fluorinated liposomes that are discussed include liposome formation and shelf-stability, membrane structure, thermotropism and permeability, encapsulation, release and stability in various media (serum, detergents), bioavailability and biodistribution, anti-HIV activity. The properties of the fluorinated lipoplexes that are reported include lipoplex formation, stability, in vitro cell transfection in the presence of serum or of bile.