金属配合物作为核酸释放的载体
摘要
Gene therapy transfers the health genes into cells to replace the disease-causing genes by utilization of a viral or non-viral carrier. The human diseases of at least 1200 have been reported to be caused by defective genes. One of the most reasonable choices to treat these diseases is gene therapy. The key barrier to overcome in gene therapy is to resolve the issue: which kind of carriers can transport the health genes into the target cells safely and efficiently. The non-viral gene carriers, such as organic cations and cationic polymers, have attracted intensive attention. However, metal complexes, nanoparticles and calcium phosphate have also been recognized as a promising nucleic acid-delivering carrier in recent years. In this paper, the studies on the nucleic acid-delivering functions of metal complexes are reviewed. We expect to be capable of understanding advantages and disadvantages of metal complexes as a promising gene carrier.