Non-viral gene delivery

Non-viral gene delivery refers to the use of synthetic or engineered vehicles—such as liposomes, lipid nanoparticles, polymers, peptides, or physical methods—to transport exogenous genetic material into cells, aiming to modulate gene expression for therapeutic or research applications. Unlike viral vectors, these methods do not rely on viral proteins for cell entry, resulting in higher safety profiles, greater packaging capacity, lower immunogenicity, and reduced risk of insertional mutagenesis. Non-viral systems are particularly attractive for addressing inherited or acquired disorders via gene therapy, gene silencing, or genome editing. However, they typically have lower transfection efficiency compared to viral vectors and face additional challenges regarding delivery specificity and cell viability. Non-viral gene delivery is not a molecular target but encompasses diverse platforms critical to advancing nucleic acid therapeutics and regenerative medicine.

Other names

Non-viral vectornon-viral gene transfernon-viral delivery system

Delivery of exogenous nucleic acids (DNA, mRNA, siRNA, miRNA, antisense oligonucleotides) to cells via physical or chemical carriers; Cellular uptake through endocytosis, electroporation, or other physical methods