Engineering challenges and translational opportunities in emerging gene delivery platforms

The clinical success of gene therapy depends critically on the development of delivery platforms capable of achieving precise, efficient and tissue-specific delivery of genetic payloads in vivo. A diverse array of carriers, including viral, non-viral, synthetic and natural vectors, have been explored to address this challenge. Among them, adeno-associated viruses, lipid nanoparticles and extracellular vesicles have emerged as leading candidates, each offering distinct advantages and translational hurdles. Here we provide a comparative analysis of these delivery modalities, highlighting their respective design principles, targeting capabilities, immunogenicity profiles and clinical progress. We survey preclinical and clinically adopted delivery strategies and explore how the three delivery platforms can be tailored for gene therapeutics in different diseases. Finally, we discuss emerging strategies to overcome current limitations and outline future directions for the rational design of next-generation gene delivery platforms that combine safety, scalability and functional precision.