Gemini surfactant-based systems for drug and gene delivery

Abstracts Gemini surfactants are attracting increasing interest in the field of drug and gene delivery. This arises from the flexibility in chemical modifications of these compounds that can modulate their physicochemical properties. Modification of the different functional groups in the spacer and alkyl tails can provide opportunities to tailor their chemical structure for specific needs. The interaction of gemini surfactants with living cells is of importance for pharmaceutical and biotechnological applications. Environmental concerns and biodegradability issues have influenced the design of gemini surfactants having functional groups that can be biodegraded (e.g., ethylene oxide, ester and disulfide). Animal studies have been performed to investigate the efficiency of gemini-based carriers. The aim of this chapter is to summarize and discuss the effect of structural modifications on the performance of gemini surfactant delivery systems and correlate the in vitro characteristics to the in vivo results in drug and gene delivery.