Viral vectors for gene therapy: past, present and future

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Molecular Biology
• Genetics

Background:

• Therapeutic gene transfer is a promising field with significant experimental and clinical research.
• Current gene delivery methods struggle with vector efficiency, quantity, and duration for effective therapeutic outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the current state and challenges of gene delivery for therapeutic applications.
• To explore ongoing research directions in developing improved gene delivery vectors.

Main Methods:

• Review of current research on viral vectors for gene therapy.
• Analysis of strategies including viral vector reengineering, host modification, and novel virus development.

Main Results:

• Gene transfer is possible, but practical therapeutic intervention remains limited by vector efficacy.
• Multiple strategies are being investigated to enhance viral vector performance in gene therapy.

Conclusions:

• Significant challenges persist in achieving effective and sustained gene delivery for therapeutic purposes.
• Future gene therapy applications will likely benefit from a diverse range of gene delivery vehicles with varied characteristics.