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 25–45 of 45 articles · Keyword: viral vectors Clear keyword
Cationic liposomes (CLs) are attractive non-viral gene-delivery carriers because they are safer, less immunogenic, and easier to prepare than viral vectors, but their transfection efficiency (TE) remains low and the relationship between lipoplex physicochemical properties, lipoplex–cell interaction, and TE is poorly…
Read the articleKai K. Ewert, Alexandra Zidovska, Ayesha Ahmad, Nathan F. Bouxsein, Heather M. Evans, Christopher S. Mcallister, Charles E. Samuel, Cyrus R. Safinya
Cationic lipid–nucleic acid (CL-NA) complexes are promising non-viral vectors for gene delivery and siRNA-mediated silencing, but their transfection and silencing efficiencies remain low compared with viral vectors. A major gap is poor mechanistic understanding of how complex structure, membrane charge density, and…
Read the articleZhang Y, Li H, Sun J, Gao J, Liu W, Li B, Guo Y, Chen J
DC-Chol/DOPE cationic liposomes are efficient non-viral vectors, but the effects of DC-Chol/DOPE molar ratio, PEGylation, and serum on pDNA versus siRNA delivery were unclear. The study also aimed to test whether pDNA and siRNA have different transfection mechanisms in these liposomes. Optimal DC-Chol/DOPE molar…
Read the articleLam 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 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 articleJoel Sunshine, Jordan J. Green, Kerry P. Mahon, Fan Yang, Ahmed A. Eltoukhy, David N. Nguyen, Robert Langer, Daniel G. Anderson
Viral vectors are efficient but face safety, manufacturing, and cargo-capacity limitations. Cationic polymers such as poly(β-amino ester)s (PBAEs) are promising non-viral alternatives, but their gene delivery efficacy varies across cell types. The study asked whether small-molecule end groups on a linear PBAE could…
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 articleJordan J. Green, Julie Shi, Eugene Chiu, Elizaveta S. Leshchiner, Robert Langer, Daniel G. Anderson
Effective and safe gene delivery to primary endothelial cells in the presence of serum proteins is particularly challenging. Endothelial cells are important targets for cardiovascular disease and cancer, but existing nonviral vectors have low efficacy and/or cytotoxicity under serum-containing conditions. C32…
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 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 articlePrimary lymphoid cells, especially human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC), are very difficult to transfect with viral and nonviral vectors. There is a need for efficient nonviral, receptor-mediated gene delivery to PBMC for cell-based therapies and for studying gene function in primary lymphocytes. Naive vs…
Read the articleJ Vacik, Bs Dean, We Zimmer, Da Dean
Non-viral gene therapy vectors lack efficient cell-specific targeting, with most approaches focusing only on cell surface internalisation rather than nuclear delivery. The nuclear import of plasmid DNA is a critical barrier to gene expression, yet it has been largely overlooked in vector design. A method to achieve…
Read the articleSérgio Simões, Vladimir Slepushkin, Pedro Pires, Rogério Gaspar, Maria C. Pedroso De Lima & Nejat Düzgüneş
Cationic liposome–DNA complexes (lipoplexes) are safer than viral vectors but have limited transfection efficiency, toxicity at high doses, and sensitivity to serum/extracellular negatively charged macromolecules. The study asks whether targeting ligands or pH-sensitive fusogenic peptides can improve…
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 articleYoung Hun Choi, Feng Liu, Jin-Seok Kim, Young Kweon Choi, Jong Sang Park, Sung Wan Kim
Non-viral gene delivery systems such as poly-L-lysine (PLL) have low immunogenicity compared with viral vectors, but PLL suffers from poor biocompatibility, rapid degradation, and low transfection efficiency. PEGylation was explored to improve solubility, reduce cytotoxicity, and enhance cell permeability for gene…
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 articleMaria Buñuales, Nejat Düzgüneş, Sara Zalba, María J. Garrido & Conchita Tros De Ilarduya
Nonviral gene delivery vectors are safer than viral vectors but generally suffer from low and nonspecific transfection efficiency. EGFR is overexpressed on many tumour cells, making EGF-mediated targeting an attractive strategy to improve selectivity and gene delivery into cancer cells. EGF-lipoplexes were…
Read the articleWe co-develop nanocarrier and biosensing programmes with pharma, biotech and academic groups — from target selection through scale-up.
