Gene transfer with lipospermines and polyethylenimines

It is an obvious and basic principle that to be efficient, gene therapy requires effective gene transfer followed by adequate gene expression. However, getting DNA, a pro-drug, into the cell and into the nucleus, remains a crucially limiting: factor. Even recombinant viral methods still show poor performances in clinical situations and non-viral methods are considered classically to be of yet lower efficiency. Here, we consider the mode of action, the nature of the complexes formed with DNA and the transfection potentials of two categories of inert, cationic vectors, the lipospermines and polyethylenimine. Both are among the best vectors currently available for in vitro work. Moreover, polyethylenimine is proving to be a versatile and effective carrier for different in vivo situations, especially for delivering genes into the mammalian brain. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V.