Nanomedicine and gene delivery

Abstract Gene delivery is a remarkable and novel method to treat different types of diseases, including genetic disorders and cancer. The foremost hindrance that lowers the in vivo applications of this approach is the intact transportation of large negatively charged and fragile molecules to cellular nuclei. The current advancements in nanotechnology favor the development of novel delivery systems based on RNA or DNA molecules. Such systems are proving to be effective substitutes for viral vectors and are formed of materials such as carbon nanotubes, liposomes, inorganic nanoparticles, nanoscale polymeric peptides, and protein-based nanoparticles. They have an advantage over viral vectors for target specificity, low biological cytotoxicity, plasticity in design, and reduced immune response. This chapter provides a comprehensive overview of macromolecular delivery systems based on nanotechnology.