WIREs Nanomedicine and Nanobiotechnology2017ReviewNon-viral Gene Delivery
Selby, L. I.; Cortez-Jugo, C. M.; Such, G. K.; Johnston, A. P. R
Endosomal escape is widely considered the rate-limiting bottleneck for cytoplasmic delivery of nucleic acids, proteins, and other therapeutics using polymeric and lipid nanoparticles. The field lacks robust methods to quantify escape efficiency and understand its mechanisms, limiting rational design of improved…
Read the article →Molecular Therapy — Methods & Clinical Development2016ReviewNon-viral Gene Delivery
Chen J, Guo Z, Tian H, Chen X.
Gene therapy is a promising strategy for treating gene-associated diseases, but clinical application is limited by inefficient delivery. Naked nucleic acids suffer from nuclease degradation, rapid renal clearance, phagocyte uptake, poor target-cell uptake, and immune-related toxicity. Nanoparticles are considered the…
Read the article →Advanced Drug Delivery Reviews.2016ReviewNon-viral Gene Delivery
Cheng X, Lee Rj
Oligonucleotide (ON) therapeutics—antisense ONs, siRNA, miRNA mimics/inhibitors, antimiRs—are limited by poor membrane permeability, rapid renal/RES clearance, and nuclease degradation. LNPs can protect ONs and improve delivery, but the role of helper lipids in LNP stability, circulation, endosomal escape, and in…
Read the article →Journal of Controlled Release.2015ReviewNon-viral Gene Delivery
De Jesus Mb, Zuhorn Is
Non-viral nucleic acid delivery requires carriers that protect DNA/RNA from nucleases and facilitate intracellular delivery. Solid lipid nanoparticles (SLNs) are promising, but the molecular mechanisms by which they assemble with nucleic acids, transfect cells, and release cargo remain poorly understood compared with…
Read the article →Macromolecular Bioscience2015ReviewNon-viral Gene Delivery
He, D.; Wagner, E
Polymeric gene delivery carriers such as PEI and poly(L-lysine) are heterogeneous and polydisperse, making site-specific multifunctional modification, structure–activity relationship studies, and reproducible clinical manufacturing difficult. This review argues that precisely defined polymeric materials — dendrimers…
Read the article →Nanoscale2014ReviewNon-viral Gene Delivery
Da Ma
siRNA-based gene therapy is a promising biotechnology for treating cancer and other diseases, but safe and efficient delivery is essential. Nanoparticle-mediated delivery must overcome multiple biological barriers, and endosomal escape is a critical rate-limiting barrier: nanoparticles are typically internalised via…
Read the article →Molecular Therapy.2013ReviewNon-viral Gene Delivery
El-Sayed A, Harashima H
Nonviral gene delivery vectors remain less efficient than viral vectors, and their intracellular fate is strongly influenced by the endocytic route they enter. The cell membrane is now understood to contain lipid raft and non-raft domains, and the initial binding domain can determine the primary endocytic vesicle…
Read the article →Journal of Controlled Release2013ReviewNon-viral Gene Delivery
Ragelle, H.; Vandermeulen, G.; Préat, V
Chitosan is attractive for siRNA delivery because it is cationic, biocompatible, biodegradable, mucoadhesive, and permeation-enhancing. However, native chitosan suffers from low solubility at physiological pH, poor buffering capacity, instability in biological fluids, and insufficient endosomal escape, limiting…
Read the article →2012ReviewNon-viral Gene Delivery
Zhang X-X, Mcintosh Tj, Grinstaff Mw
Cationic lipids are the most common non-viral gene-delivery vectors, but they generally suffer from low transfection efficiency. Functional or stimulus-responsive lipids—especially pH-, redox-, and charge-reversal-sensitive lipids—may improve nucleic acid delivery by enabling triggered cargo release, endosomal…
Read the article →2011ReviewNon-viral Gene Delivery
Chou Lyt, Ming K, Chan Wcw.
Nanoparticles (NPs) are increasingly used as contrast agents, therapeutics, and delivery vehicles, but their effective delivery into cells and to specific subcellular organelles remains a major challenge. The review addresses fundamental barriers to intracellular NP delivery—plasma membrane, endosomal entrapment…
Read the article →Journal of Drug Delivery2011ReviewNon-viral Gene Delivery
Daniel A. Balazs, W.T. Godbey
Liposomes are versatile, biocompatible vesicular carriers that can encapsulate and deliver DNA or RNA, but the relationship between lipid charge, lipid packing, and gene-delivery efficiency remains complex. This review discusses physical packing parameters and specific lipids used for gene delivery, classified by…
Read the article →Journal of Internal Medicine2010ReviewNon-viral Gene Delivery
Schroeder A, Levins Cg, Cortez C, Langer R, Anderson Dg
RNAi has strong therapeutic potential, but clinical translation of siRNA is limited by delivery. siRNA is large, negatively charged, susceptible to nuclease degradation, poorly taken up by cells, and must reach the cytoplasm to engage RISC. Safe and effective lipid-based delivery systems are needed to protect siRNA…
Read the article →European Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences2010ReviewNon-viral Gene Delivery
Conchita Tros De Ilarduya, Yan Sun, Nejat Düzgüneş
Viral vectors achieve high gene transfer efficiency but can induce immune/inflammatory responses, have limited DNA carrying capacity, and raise recombination and cost concerns. Non-viral vectors such as cationic lipids and polymers are safer alternatives, but their transfection efficiency—especially in vivo—remains…
Read the article →2009ReviewNon-viral Gene Delivery
Sunshine, J.; Bhise, N.; Green, J. J
Non-viral gene delivery needs safe and effective carriers. PEI is effective but cytotoxic, while viral vectors raise safety concerns. Degradable poly(β-amino ester)s may provide effective gene delivery with reduced cytotoxicity. This study investigates how small changes in polymer synthesis ratio and end-group…
Read the article →2001ReviewNon-viral Gene Delivery
Kircheis, R.; Wightman, L.; Wagner, E
PEI is one of the most effective non-viral gene delivery polymers, but its efficacy, toxicity, and in vivo behaviour depend strongly on molecular weight, branching, particle size, surface charge, and modifications. This review addresses how PEI/DNA complexes can be modified with targeting ligands, shielding agents…
Read the article →1999ReviewNon-viral Gene Delivery
Godbey, W. T.; Wu, K. K.; Mikos, A. G
Gene therapy still lacks safe and efficient delivery vectors. PEI has emerged as a promising non-viral polycation because it condenses DNA and mediates endosomal escape, but its transfection mechanism, targeting potential, and toxicity require clearer understanding. This review summarises PEI chemistry, PEI/DNA…
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