ABSTRACT
The potential clinical application of gene delivery is perhaps as diverse as the methods used to deliver DNA to cells. Viral and nonviral DNA delivery vehicles alike are widely reported in the gene therapy literature and several general and critical reviews are available.1,2 There are distinct advantages and disadvantages to both types of DNA delivery vehicles. For example, arguments that favor viral-based DNA delivery include high efficiency, whereas arguments against it include potential immunogenicity and oncogene activation. The arguments for and against nonviral gene delivery vehicles are essentially the opposite: in general, nonviral vehicles have relatively poor efficiency but superior safety profiles.
