Gene delivery by functional inorganic nanocarriers.

Gene delivery into cells to elicit cellular response has received a great attention recently. Viruses, lipids, peptides, cationic polymers and certain inorganic nanomaterials have been reported as gene delivery vectors. In this review, we focus on the recent literature on gene delivery using inorganic nanoparticles. This emerging field of study is concisely summarized and illustrated by selected examples and recent patents. New approaches and directions towards the practical use of multifunctional nanocarriers are highlighted.