Biological gene delivery vehicles: beyond viral vectors

Area of Science:

• Biotechnology
• Molecular Biology
• Gene Therapy

Background:

• Gene therapy applications range from treating genetic diseases to vaccination, each requiring specific gene delivery methods.
• Current viral vectors and synthetic liposomes have limitations including production complexity, limited capacity, and immunogenicity, hindering broader gene therapy use.
• Preventive gene therapy is significantly impacted by these delivery vector constraints.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the potential of nonviral biological agents as gene therapy delivery vehicles.
• To highlight the unique biological properties, limitations, and applications of these alternative agents.
• To assess their prospects for expanding the gene therapy vector repertoire.

Main Methods:

• Review of existing literature on nonviral biological delivery agents for gene therapy.
• Analysis of the evolved biological properties of agents such as bacteria, bacteriophage, virus-like particles (VLPs), erythrocyte ghosts, and exosomes.
• Examination of their respective limitations and potential clinical applications.

Main Results:

• Nonviral biological agents present promising alternatives to traditional gene therapy vectors.
• These agents, including bacteria and exosomes, possess unique natural properties suitable for targeted gene delivery.
• Clinical trials have demonstrated the feasibility of bacteria-mediated gene transfer.

Conclusions:

• Nonviral biological delivery vehicles can overcome limitations associated with viral vectors and synthetic liposomes.
• Further development of these agents will expand the available toolkit for gene therapy.
• These biological entities hold significant potential to complement established delivery techniques and advance clinical gene therapy applications.