A sustained, cytoplasmic transgene expression system delivered by cationic liposomes.

A plasmid containing the reporter gene, chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (CAT), driven by the bacteriophage T7 promoter was co-delivered with purified T7 RNA polymerase by the DC-chol cationic liposomes into human embryonic kidney 293 cells to obtain a transient (2 days) CAT gene expression. To prolong the expression, a T7 autogene which contains the T7 RNA polymerase gene driven by the T7 promoter was included in the transfection complex as a self-amplifying regeneration mechanism for the polymerase. High level CAT gene expression was observed up to 5 days after transfection. This strong and sustained expression system should be useful in gene transfer experiments.