Non-viral Techniques

The transfer of genetic material using non-viral systems preceded the developed of viral- based vectors. Non-viral vectors, also called physical mechanisms of gene transfer, can be traced back to the work of Avery, MacLeod, and McCarthy, in 1944 which showed that genes were transferred by nucleic acids. Several studies in the early 1960s reported changes in cellular phenotype following exogenous DNA exposure. The first non-viral technique to gain wide acceptance was calcium phosphate-mediated transfection. This system has undergone little change since being well characterized in the early 1970s. It was not until the advent of cationic liposomes in 1988 that non-viral vectors offered an efficient means to transfer genes into cells. Our discussion will divide non-viral vectors into two categories, those which are limited to in vitro applications, and those which have both in vitro and in vivo applications.

Liposomes   Plasmid DNA Injection    Ballistic DNA Injection    Other tech in vitro

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Nonviral Gene Therapy: promises and challenges

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