Every entry summarises what the study set out to test, what it found and why it changes how we design delivery systems. Browse research and reviews or search the collection.
586 articles
Showing 49–66 of 66 articles · Keyword: transfection Clear keyword
Lam Ap, Dean Da.
The nuclear envelope remains a major barrier to successful nonviral transfection and gene therapy. After exogenous DNA is delivered to the cytoplasm, it rapidly complexes with cellular proteins that control its intracellular trafficking and nuclear import. Understanding these mechanisms is necessary to improve…
Read the articleParhamifar, L.; Larsen, A. K.; Hunter, A. C.; Andresen, T. L.; Moghimi, S. M
Efficient transfection with low toxicity is essential for nucleic acid therapeutics, but synthetic polycations such as polyethylenimine (PEI) are limited by cytotoxicity. This review critically assesses the safety and efficacy challenges of PEI-based polyplexes, identifies deficiencies in the field, and proposes…
Read the articleConchita 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 articleZhu L, Mahato Ri
Nucleic acid therapeutics—plasmid DNA, antisense oligonucleotides, and RNAi molecules—have broad therapeutic potential but face major biological barriers, including nuclease degradation, poor membrane penetration, endosomal entrapment, nonspecific biodistribution, and immune activation. The review addresses how…
Read the articleSunshine, 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 articleMidoux P, Pichon C, Yaouanc J-J, Jaffrès P-A
Non-viral nucleic acid delivery systems—lipoplexes, polyplexes, and lipopolyplexes—are limited mainly by poor endosomal escape. The review examines whether histidine- and imidazole-containing carriers can exploit the acidic endosomal environment to destabilize membranes and improve cytosolic delivery of DNA, mRNA…
Read the articleGreen, J. J.; Langer, R.; Anderson, D. G
Gene therapy has enormous therapeutic potential, but delivery remains the central bottleneck. Viral vectors are efficient but carry serious safety, immunogenicity, manufacturing, and cargo-capacity limitations. Nonviral vectors are safer and more scalable but typically orders of magnitude less effective. This Account…
Read the articleMcneil Se, Perrie Y
Cationic liposomes have been developed for gene delivery for almost 20 years, but despite extensive effort, there has been limited progress toward an effective pharmaceutical product. Their transfection efficiency remains insufficient, and most clinical trials still rely on more potent viral vectors despite viral…
Read the articlePutnam D
Synthetic polymer-based gene delivery vectors have been studied for two decades but remain far less efficient than viral vectors. The review addresses the need for improved design criteria and new synthetic strategies across nano-, micro-, and macroscale delivery systems to overcome formulation, organism-level, and…
Read the articleLv H, Zhang S, Wang B, Cui S, Yan J
Cationic lipids and polymers are promising non-viral gene delivery vectors because they are non-immunogenic, easy to produce, and not oncogenic, but toxicity remains a major obstacle to their clinical application. The review evaluates structural features of cationic compounds and summarises toxicity–structure…
Read the articleDean Da, Strong Dd, Zimmer We.
Nonviral gene delivery is limited by multiple extracellular and intracellular barriers, but the nuclear envelope remains a major unresolved barrier, especially in nondividing cells. Plasmids must enter the nucleus to be transcribed, yet the mechanisms of plasmid nuclear import are much less understood than protein…
Read the articleSérgio Simões, Ana Da Silva Filipe, Henrique Faneca, Miguel Mano, Nuno Penacho, Nejat Düzgüneş, Maria C. Pedroso De Lima
Cationic liposome–DNA complexes (lipoplexes) are a potentially viable non-viral alternative to viral vectors for therapeutic gene delivery, but they suffer from limited delivery/gene expression efficiency, toxicity at higher concentrations, adverse interactions with serum and cell surfaces, and poor tissue access…
Read the articlePack, D. W.; Hoffman, A. S.; Pun, S.; Stayton, P. S
The lack of safe and efficient gene-delivery methods remains a limiting obstacle to human gene therapy. Synthetic vectors are safer than recombinant viruses but generally lack sufficient efficacy, so polymers must be rationally designed to overcome extracellular and intracellular delivery barriers. PEI: Only 15–20%…
Read the articleKircheis, 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 articleGodbey, 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…
Read the articleHope Mj, Mui B, Ansell S, Ahkong Qf
Polymeric nucleic acid drugs—plasmid DNA, antisense oligonucleotides, and ribozymes—require protection from nucleases and efficient intracellular delivery to cytoplasm/nucleus. Viral vectors are efficient but immunogenic and safety-limited; non-viral cationic lipid systems are promising, but the mechanism of…
Read the articleFelgner Pl, Ringold Gm
Existing polynucleotide delivery methods—calcium phosphate, DEAE-dextran, electroporation, retroviral vectors—had limitations in convenience, reproducibility, efficiency, and applicability across cell types. A simple, broadly effective cationic liposome reagent was needed for DNA and RNA transfection of mammalian…
Read the articleThe transferrin receptor (TfR) is overexpressed on many cancer cells and is efficiently internalised, making it a useful target for delivering small-molecule drugs and nucleic acid therapeutics while reducing non-target effects. The review summarises TfR biology, Tf-lipoplex development, and therapeutic applications…
Read the articleWe co-develop nanocarrier and biosensing programmes with pharma, biotech and academic groups — from target selection through scale-up.
