Gene therapy for the treatment of renal disease: prospects for the future

Human gene therapy has been progressing at a remarkable rate, but information from basic research on gene therapy is still generally lacking. Gene transfer to the kidney has been attempted using various strategies, yet we still have no satisfactory and reliable gene transfer technique to the kidney. More effective and more selective gene transfer techniques are required for gene therapy, as well as for use as a research tool, to improve understanding of the pathophysiology of renal diseases.