Research progress on non-viral vectors of CRISPR/Cas9 system

Abstract

In recent years, clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)/CRISPR associated protein 9 (Cas9) system has become one of the most powerful technologies in biomedical research and shown great potentials in the establishment of disease models as well as the development of new treatments. However, efficient delivery of CRISPR/Cas9 systems to target organs and cells remains challenging. With the rapid development of non-viral vectors, nanocarriers based on liposomes, polymers, and inorganic nanoparticles have shown great potentials for the delivery of CRISPR/Cas9 systems. In this review, we first summarize the potential of the CRISPR/Cas9 system in disease modeling and disease treatment, as well as the limitations. The advantages and disadvantages of delivering the CRISPR/Cas9 system in the form of plasmid DNA, mRNA or protein are then analyzed and the non-viral vectors that have emerged are reviewed. Finally, we summarize the key barriers currently faced by non-viral vectors in the delivery of CRISPR/Cas9 systems and propose strategies that are expected to overcome them.