Successful gene therapy largely depends on the selective introduction of therapeutic genes into the appropriate target cancer cells. One of the most effective and promising approaches for targeting tumor tissue during gene delivery is the use of viral vectors, which allow for high efficiency gene delivery. However, the use of viral vectors is not without risks and safety concerns, such as toxic...

Non-viral gene delivery is plagued by low transfection levels compared to viral delivery. The nuclear envelope presents a significant obstacle for non-viral vectors. A peptide-based nuclear localizing sequence has been incorporated into non-viral vectors to traverse the nuclear envelope. Here, we selected a photo-chemical method for covalently labeling the peptide onto plasmid DNA. The hypothes...

The application of non-viral gene delivery vectors is often accompanied with the poor correlation between transfection efficiency and the safety profiles of vectors. Vectors with high transfection efficiencies often suffer from high toxicities, making it unlikely to improve their efficiencies by increasing the DNA dosage. In the current study, we developed a ternary complex system which consist...

Nowadays, gene delivery for therapeutic objects is considered one of the most promising strategies to cure both the genetic and acquired diseases of human. The design of efficient gene delivery vectors possessing the high transfection efficiencies and low cytotoxicity is considered the major challenge for delivering a target gene to specific tissues or cells. On this base, the investigations on...

To prolong the observation time, increase the penetration depth and decrease self-absorption and phototoxicity, two-photon luminescent vectors have emerged as promising tools for tracking gene delivery in living cells. Herein, we report four new tetranuclear Ru(ii) complexes based on oligo-oxyethylene and polybenzimidazole as one- and two- photon luminescent tracking non-viral gene vectors. In ...

Adenovirus (Ad) vectors, in particular those of the serotype 5, are highly attractive for a wide range of gene therapy, vaccine and virotherapy applications (as discussed in further detail in this issue). Wild type Ad5 virus can replicate in numerous tissue types but to use Ad vectors for therapeutic purposes the viral genome requires modification. In particular, if the viral genome is modified...

As a consequence of several setbacks encountered by viral technology in achieving efficient and safe gene therapy in clinical trials, non-viral gene delivery vectors are considered to date as a valuable alternative and to hold promise for future therapeutic applications. Nevertheless, the transfection efficiency mediated by these non-viral gene delivery vectors has to be improved, especially in...

Somatic cells can be reprogrammed to induced hepatocyte-like cells (iHeps) by overexpressing certain defined factors in direct reprogramming techniques. Of the various methods to deliver genes into cells, typically used genome-integrating viral vectors are associated with integration-related adverse events such as mutagenesis, whereas non-integrating viral vectors have low efficiency, making vi...

Gene therapy offers important perspectives in current and future medicine but suffers from imperfect vectors for the delivery of the therapeutic gene. Most preclinical and clinical trials have been based on the use of viral vectors, which have evident advantages but also some serious disadvantages. In the past decade the use of DNA transposon-based systems for gene delivery has emerged as a non...

Tumor angiogenesis is crucial for the progression and metastasis of cancer. The vasculature of tumor tissue is different from normal vasculature. Therefore, tumor vascular targeting therapy could represent an effective therapeutic strategy with which to suppress both primary tumor growth and tumor metastasis. The use of viral vectors for tumor vascular targeting therapy is a promising strategy ...