1932

Abstract

▪ Abstract 

Significant progress has been made in the area of nonviral gene delivery to date. Yet, synthetic vectors remain less efficient by orders of magnitude than their viral counterparts. Research continues toward unraveling and overcoming various barriers to the efficient delivery of DNA, whether in plasmid form encoding a gene or as an oligonucleotide for the selective inhibition of target gene expression. Novel components for overcoming these hurdles are continually being incorporated into the design of synthetic vectors, leading to increasingly more virus-like particles. Despite these advances, general principles defining the design of synthetic vectors are yet to be developed fully. A more quantitative analysis of the cellular uptake and intracellular processing of these vectors is required for the rational manipulation of vector design. Mathematical frameworks with a more conceptual basis will help obtain an integrated perspective on these complex systems. In this review, we critically examine the progress made toward the improved design of synthetic vectors by the strategic exploitation of intracellular mechanisms and explore newer possibilities to overcome obstacles in the practical realization of this field.

Loading

Article metrics loading...

/content/journals/10.1146/annurev.bioeng.6.040803.140203
2004-08-15
2024-03-28
Loading full text...

Full text loading...

/content/journals/10.1146/annurev.bioeng.6.040803.140203
Loading
/content/journals/10.1146/annurev.bioeng.6.040803.140203
Loading

Data & Media loading...

  • Article Type: Review Article
This is a required field
Please enter a valid email address
Approval was a Success
Invalid data
An Error Occurred
Approval was partially successful, following selected items could not be processed due to error