Gene transfer to the retina of rat by liposome eye drops

Gene delivery to the intraocular tissues of the retina is hampered by complicated surgical interventions to administer the gene. Here we showed that instillation as eye drops of an expression plasmid vector for beta-galactosidase gene carried by the specific kinds of liposomes could transfer the gene to the retinal ganglion cells of rat, without causing any inflammation. This non-surgical, convenient way for gene delivery to the retina would facilitate the development of treatment for various intraocular diseases.