Solid lipid nanoparticles for applications in gene therapy: a review of the state of the art.
BACKGROUND
Gene therapy represents a new paradigm in the prevention and treatment of many inherited and acquired diseases, including genetic disorders, such as cystic fibrosis, haemophilia and many somatic diseases, such as tumours, neurodegenerative diseases and viral infections, such as AIDS.


METHODS
Among a large array of non-viral transfection agents used for in-vitro applications, cationic SLNs are the topic of this review, being recently proposed as an alternative carrier for DNA delivery, due to many technological advantages such as large-scale production from substances generally recognized as safe, good storage stability and possibility of steam sterilization and lyophilisation.


RESULTS
The authors give some information on the knowledge of intracellular trafficking and SLNs-DNA complex chemical-physical properties reported until now in the literature.


CONCLUSIONS
The future success of cationic SLNs for administration of genetic material will depend on their ability to efficiently cross the physiological barriers, selectively targeting a specific cell type in vivo and expressing therapeutic genes.
Bondì
Maria Luisa
ML
Istituto per lo Studio dei Materiali Nanostrutturati, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, via Ugo La Malfa, 153-90146 Palermo, Italy. marialuisa.bondi@ismn.cnr.it
Craparo
Emanuela Fabiola
EF
D004247:DNA / Q000737:chemistry; D015316:Genetic Therapy; D005822:Genetic Vectors; D008055:Lipids / Q000737:chemistry*; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D053758:Nanoparticles
D008055:Lipids; D004247:DNA