Targeting of Drugs (NATO Asi Series: Series A: Life Sciences)

Gene therapy, developed as an alternative to the use of therapeutic proteins, can be hampered by nuclease degradation of the plasmid DNA, its inability to access target cells or when within cells, to enter the nucleus and transfect these efficiently. This book deals with recent developments in circumventing the problems of direct plasmid administration by the use of viral or non-viral vectors. Representatives from both camps discuss the challenges and opportunities of the two approaches and present current progress with a variety of constructs. These include viruses such as retroviruses, lentiviruses, poxviruses, alphavirus, herpevirus and parvovirus. Non-viral constructs are represented by polycations, polymers, cationic liposomes and nanoparticles.