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Evaluation of Polymeric Gene Delivery Nanoparticles by Nanoparticle Tracking Analysis and High-throughput Flow Cytometry
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Published on: March 1, 2013

Prospects for cationic polymers in gene and oligonucleotide therapy against cancer

Thomas Merdan1, Jindrich Kopecek, Thomas Kissel

  • 1Department of Pharmaceutics and Biopharmacy, Philipps University, Ketzerbach 63, 35032 Marburg, Germany.

Advanced Drug Delivery Reviews
|September 3, 2002
PubMed

Insights

Non-viral gene therapy shows promise for cancer treatment, but efficient delivery remains a challenge. This review explores cationic polymers as safe vectors and strategies to overcome delivery obstacles for improved cancer gene therapy.

Area of Science:

  • Biomedical Engineering
  • Molecular Biology
  • Oncology

Background:

  • Gene therapy, including antisense/ribozyme approaches, offers significant potential for treating genetic diseases like cancer.
  • While some gene therapy strategies have advanced to clinical trials, a key limitation is the absence of safe and efficient nucleic acid delivery systems.
  • Viral vectors face challenges with toxicity and immunogenicity, increasing interest in non-viral delivery methods.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review cationic polymers as non-viral vectors for gene and oligonucleotide delivery in cancer therapy.
  • To discuss strategies for targeting these vectors to cancer tissues and overcoming systemic/subcellular delivery obstacles.
  • To provide an overview of anticancer gene/antisense/ribozyme therapy principles and ongoing clinical trials.

Main Methods:

  • Review of literature on cationic polymers for non-viral gene delivery.
  • Analysis of strategies for cancer tissue targeting and overcoming delivery barriers.
  • Summarization of local delivery approaches for vector/DNA complexes.

Main Results:

  • Cationic polymers offer a safer alternative to viral vectors for gene delivery, though transfection efficiency is a limitation.
  • Various strategies exist to enhance targeting and overcome obstacles in systemic and subcellular delivery.
  • Local delivery methods and ongoing clinical trials are presented.

Conclusions:

  • Cationic polymers are promising non-viral vectors for cancer gene therapy, but efficiency and targeting require further optimization.
  • Addressing delivery hurdles is crucial for realizing the full therapeutic potential of gene and oligonucleotide-based cancer treatments.
  • Continued research and clinical trials are essential for advancing gene therapy applications in oncology.

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