Chapter 21 - Biological macromolecules for nucleic acid delivery

Abstract

Nowadays, nucleic acids have been extensively used for the treatment of diverse diseases, especially cancers, and some of them have shown promising results. However, some challenges such as cytotoxicity, hydrophilicity, inefficient transfection, inability to reach the target cells, and degradation in the blood stream limit their application. These challenges can be overcome by the use of a suitable nucleic acid delivery system (in the form of nano- or microcariers). Nucleic acid delivery systems are of two categories, namely viral and nonviral systems. This chapter is a concise summary of the nonviral nucleic acid delivery systems made up of biological macromolecules such as peptides, lipids and carbohydrates. The chapter gives an introduction on the history and structure of nucleic acids to help the reader understand the chemical information presented in the subsequent sections. Thereafter, three basic biological macromolecules (lipids, proteins and carbohydrates) are discussed as potential nucleic acid delivery systems.