ABSTRACT
The use of cationic liposomes is an established methodology for the nonviral transfer of DNA into cells. Gene therapy, the transfer of therapeutic genes into cells, is viewed as having great potential for the intervention of numerous pathogenic conditions. This transfer can be facilitated by either viral or nonviral vectors. Viral vectors confer considerable transfection efficiency, yet the therapeutic use of these vectors has generated safety concerns, due to incidences of immunogenicity and oncogenesis, whereas nonviral vectors have the advantage of lacking these serious side effects. However, they generally fail to match the level of transfection efficiency attributed to viral vectors by a significantly large degree.
