Hydrodynamics-based gene delivery.

The need for a safe and efficient method for gene delivery has stimulated the recent emergence of vectorless methods (e.g., naked DNA) as promising alternatives to the available viral- and non-viral-based systems. Among these methods, hydrodynamics-based gene delivery through systemic injection of DNA offers a convenient, efficient and powerful means for high-level gene expression in mice. This review deals with the background and progress made so far with this new gene delivery method, the potential mechanism underlying the hydrodynamics-based DNA transfer into cells and its potential applications towards gene function analysis, protein expression and gene therapy in whole animals.