Cholesteryl Hemisuccinate (CHEMS)

Cholesteryl hemisuccinate (CHEMS) is a cholesterol derivate that is responsive to changes in pH. When incorporated in lipid bilayer membranes, it provides membrane stabilization activity, but when exposed to acidic environments it results in a break of the lipid membrane which facilitates drug release. It can also be used in conjunction with DOPE to improve transfection efficiency.
SYNONYM: CHEMS