R. V. Rodik

Institute of Organic Chemistry, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Kyiv ,
e-mail: dmso@ukr.net

First results of non-ionic and poly-cationic calixarenes utilization for gene transfection are presented and analyzed in this survey. State of the art in the field of scientific searching for new non-viral vectors are shown in the general form. The prospects of supramolecular concept in design agents for transfection are demonstrated. Some relationships between calixarene architecture and calixarene ability to promote gene transfection are revealed, namely: formation of supramolecular self-assembled aggregates at water media facilitates hierarchical formation of complexes with DNA molecules. Latter particles will effectively transfect genes if they are nano-sized and positively-charged.