Nonviral vectors: we have come a long way.

Gene therapy, once thought to be the future of medicine, has reached the beginning stages of exponential growth. Many types of diseases are now being studied and treated in clinical trials through various gene delivery vectors. It appears that the future is here, and gene therapy is just beginning to revolutionize the way patients are treated. However, as promising as these ongoing treatments and clinical trials are, there are many more barriers and challenges that need to be addressed and understood in order to continue this positive growth. Our knowledge of these challenging factors such as gene uptake and expression should be expanded in order to improve existing delivery systems. This chapter will provide a brief overview on recent advances in the field of nonviral vectors for gene therapy as well as point out some novel vectors that have assisted in the extraordinary growth of nonviral gene therapy as we know it today.