[Current status and prospects of non-viral vector in inner ear gene therapy]

So far, there is no effective treatment for most of patients with sensorineural hearing loss. Many studies have shown that gene therapy has become more promising in terms of protecting the inner ear from these diseases. In recent years, inner ear gene therapy has become a research focus in the field of otology. It has not yet appeared a feasible technique for inner ear gene therapy in clinical application due to the particularity of the structure and function of inner ear. On the other hand, in order to avoid the adverse effects of carcinogenic and immunity caused by viral vectors, many scholars devote themselves to develop new gene vectors based on non-viral materials, such as liposomes, polymers and other nanomaterials. In recent years, many great progresses have been made in development and application of non-viral vectors, which showing an inspiring prospect. The research status, progress and prospects of non-viral vectors in inner ear gene therapy will be discussed in this review.