Gene therapy using PLGA nanoparticles

Gene therapies undoubtedly are an exciting field of research and have successfully drawn the attention of many researchers in the field of biotechnology. Gene therapies will surely open up new areas of medicine to treat patients. Today, an unprecedented degree of control is possible over nucleic acid delivery, immune system modulation, precise modifications in the genomes of animals, and in related technologies that were unimaginable 10years ago, but have now successfully entered different research areas. Polymeric nanoparticles (NPs) have a lot of promising potential to act as drug or gene delivery systems. The two most important advantages of these NPs are (i) their ability to hold genes that would otherwise be ineffectively supplied to tissues and (ii) to specifically target organs. NPs can pass through numerous barriers within the body that are influenced by particle size. In this chapter, we discuss the nanoparticles involved in gene therapy, especially focused on poly (lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) nanoparticles. The applications and preparations of PLGA nanoparticles in gene therapy are also focused on.