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

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.