Strategies for non-viral gene delivery to the lungs

Cystic fibrosis, alpha 1-antitrypsin deficiency and surfactant protein B deficiency are examples of lung diseases which could be susceptible to a gene therapy approach. Most gene therapy protocols have used viral vectors for their efficiency of gene transfer. However, all viral vectors induce an immunological response to some degree and have safety risks. Furthermore, their capacity is limited and large scale production may be difficult to achieve. Various non-viral vectors have been developed for gene transfer to the lung. Synthetic vectors are thought to circumvent concerns raised by immunogenicity and safety…