ABSTRACT
Introducing nucleic acids (genes or gene-silencing elements) to mammalian cells is a powerful way to modulate the cellular functions and signal transduction mediated by proteins. Following delivery to the cytoplasm, a foreign gene enters the nucleus and is transcribed to the corresponding mRNA, which is subsequently transported to the cytoplasm for translation into a specic protein. However, a gene-silencing element, such as an antisense oligonucleotide or a small interfering RNA, blocks the transcription of a target mRNA. Nucleic acid delivery has been an essential tool to turn on and off the expression of a particular gene in basic research laboratories and is highly promising for the development of new therapeutic concepts, such as gene therapy and DNA vaccination, which are likely to have an impact on clinical medicine and biotechnology in this century [1,2].
