ABSTRACT
With advances in polymer science and with the advent of various synthetic biodegradable and biocompatible polymeric materials, the field of polymer-based gene expression vectors has been expanding and gaining significant interest in recent years.1,2 Some of these polymers are modified or custom synthesized specifically for the delivery of nucleic acids.3,4 Recent experiences with viral vectors suggest that the safety of these expression vectors is still an unresolved issue5 and that it cannot be overlooked if the gene therapy approach is to succeed in clinical trials. It is anticipated that the polymer-based nonviral gene delivery systems will be safer, and versatile and efficient in gene expression.
