title: Recent advances on biocompatible and biodegradable nanoparticles as gene carriers.
abstract: Gene therapy mainly depends on the use of appropriate delivery vehicles with no induction of immune responses and toxicity. The limitations of viral gene carriers such as induction of immunogenicity, random integration in the genome of the host, limitations in the size, has led to a movement toward non-viral systems with much safer properties. Biodegradable and biocompatible polymeric nanocarriers due to several unique properties such as excellent biocompatibility, prolonged gene circulation time, prevented gene degradation, passive targeting by using the enhanced permeability and retention (EPR) effect, and possibility of modulating polymers structure to obtain desirable therapeutic efficacy, are among the most promising systems for gene delivery. However, biodegradable gene delivery systems have some limitations such as inadequate stability and slow release of therapeutics which have to be overcome. Thus, a variety of advanced functional biodegradable delivery systems with more efficient gene delivery activity has recently been introduced.
  
  
  
  This review summarizes different aspects of biodegradable and biocompatible nano carriers including formulation, mechanism of intracellular uptake, various potential applications of biodegradable nanoparticles and finally recent studies on the therapeutic efficacy of these nanoparticles in sustained delivery of genes.
  
  
  
  Biocompatible and biodegradable polymers will play a necessary and important role in developing new and safe carriers for oligonucleotide delivery. More working and the development of optimized polymers will reveal more their efficacy in the treatment of patients via helping in better gene therapy.
authors.affiliation: a Research Center for Pharmaceutical Nanotechnology , Tabriz University of Medical Sciences , Tabriz , Iran.|b Department of Biotechnology , Higher Education Institute of Rab-Rashid , Tabriz , Iran.|c Pharmaceutical Research Center, Department of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, School of Pharmacy , Mashhad University of Medical Sciences , Mashhad , Iran.
authors.forename: Ahad
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mokhtarzadeh
authors.affiliation: d Department of biotechnology, School of Advanced Technologies in Medicine , Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences , Tehran , Iran.
authors.forename: Abbas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Alibakhshi
authors.affiliation: e Department of biotechnology, School of Medicine , Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences , Tehran , Iran.
authors.forename: Hajar
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yaghoobi
authors.affiliation: f Nanotechnology Research Center, School of Pharmacy , Mashhad University of Medical Sciences , Mashhad , Iran.
authors.forename: Maryam
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hashemi
authors.affiliation: g School of Medicine , Gonabad University of Medical Sciences , Gonabad , Iran.
authors.forename: Maryam
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hejazi
authors.affiliation: c Pharmaceutical Research Center, Department of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, School of Pharmacy , Mashhad University of Medical Sciences , Mashhad , Iran.|f Nanotechnology Research Center, School of Pharmacy , Mashhad University of Medical Sciences , Mashhad , Iran.
authors.forename: Mohammad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ramezani
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001672:Biocompatible Materials / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000737:chemistry; D002626:Chemistry, Pharmaceutical; D004337:Drug Carriers / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000737:chemistry; D016503:Drug Delivery Systems / Q000379:methods / Q000639:trends; D018014:Gene Transfer Techniques / Q000639:trends; D015316:Genetic Therapy / Q000379:methods* / Q000639:trends; D006801:Humans; D053758:Nanoparticles / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000737:chemistry; D011108:Polymers / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D004337:Drug Carriers; D011108:Polymers
keywords: Gene therapy; biocompatible; biodegradable; polymeric nanocarriers