Chitosans for gene delivery

Efficient non-viral gene delivery based on cationic polymers as DNA-condensing agents is dependent on a variety of factors, e.g. complex size, complex stability, toxicity, immunogenicity, protection against DNase degradation, and intracellular trafficking and processing of the DNA. This review examines the advances in the application of chitosan and chitosan derivatives to non-viral gene delivery, and gives an overview of transfection studies which have been performed recently using chitosans as transfection agents.