Nanotechnology approaches for gene transfer

Abstract

In both basic research as well as experimental gene therapy the need to transfer genetic material into a cell is of vital importance. The cellular compartment, which is the target for the genetic material, depends upon application. An siRNA that mediates silencing is preferably delivered to the cytosol while a transgene would need to end up in the nucleus for successful transcription to occur. Furthermore the ability to regulate gene expression has grown substantially since the discovery of RNA interference. In such diverse fields as medical research and agricultural pest control, the capability to alter the genetic output has been a useful tool for pushing the scientific frontiers. This review is focused on nanotechnological approaches to assemble optimised structures of nucleic acid derivatives to facilitate gene delivery as well as promoting down regulation of endogenous genes.

Oxide Nanomaterials: Synthetic Developments, Mechanistic Studies, and Technological Innovations

“…[9,10] As this complex interdisciplinary research field is beyond this Review, a few suggestions are given for catching up on current topics: * Nanomedicine has emerged as a particularly powerful interdisciplinary branch [11] and it raises new therapeutic hopes, for example, for the targeting of tumors through magnetic oxide nanoparticles, [12] in artificial tissue engineering, [13] and even for cuttingedge therapeutic strategies based on gene transfer. [14] * Nanoparticles are also expected to play a major role in the food sector, for example, in the fields of food packaging and polymeric materials, and nanosensors. [15] * These applications, however, also raise critical issues regarding potential health-hazard factors of nanomaterials.…”

Why Novel Nanoparticle-based Delivery Platforms Hold Key for HIV/AIDS Treatment and Prevention?

“…15,16 However, it has been found that using viral vectors for gene delivery have a lot of limitations: toxicity, immunogenicity, insertion mutagenesis and scale-up procedures. 4,17,18 RNA interference (RNAi) holds some promise for therapeutic potential for HIV/AIDS 15,19 RNAi contributes to gene silencing. When a double stranded RNA is introduced into an appropriate cell, it is cleaved by an enzyme called Dicer into 21 base pair nucleotides to produce double stranded siRNA.…”

Emerging Nanotechnology Approaches for HIV/AIDS Treatment and Prevention

“…These efforts are encouraging and support the growing excitement around gene therapy for the treatment of HIV/AIDS. However, lessons learned over the past two decades indicate that the use of viral vectors for gene delivery poses fundamental problems such as toxicity, immunogenicity, insertion mutagenesis and limitations with scale-up procedures [70,71]. These problems have encouraged the investigation of nonviral vectors for gene delivery, where nanotechnology platforms are showing great promise [70–72].…”