Role of Lipid-Based and Polymer-Based Non-Viral Vectors in Nucleic Acid Delivery for Next-Generation Gene Therapy

Wahane, Aniket; Waghmode, Akaash; Kapphahn, Alexander; Dhuri, Karishma; Gupta, Anisha; Bahal, Raman

The field of gene therapy has experienced an insurgence of attention for its widespread ability to regulate gene expression by targeting genomic DNA, messenger RNA, microRNA, and short-interfering RNA for treating malignant and non-malignant disorders. Numerous nucleic acid analogs have been developed to target coding or non-coding sequences of the human genome for gene regulation. However, broader clinical applications of nucleic acid analogs have been limited due to their poor cell or organ-specific delivery. To resolve these issues, non-viral vectors based on nanoparticles, liposomes, and polyplexes have been developed to date. This review is centered on non-viral vectors mainly comprising of cationic lipids and polymers for nucleic acid-based delivery for numerous gene therapy-based applications.