Shaurya Sachdev (Author), Tjaša Potočnik (Author), Lea Rems (Author), Damijan Miklavčič (Author)

Abstract

Gene therapies are revolutionizing medicine by providing a way to cure hitherto incurable diseases. The scientific and technological advances have enabled the first gene therapies to become clinically approved. In addition, with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, we are witnessing record speeds in the development and distribution of gene-based vaccines. For gene therapy to take effect, the therapeutic nucleic acids (RNA or DNA) need to overcome several barriers before they can execute their function of producing a protein or silencing a defective or overexpressing gene. This includes the barriers of the interstitium, the cell membrane, the cytoplasmic barriers and (in case of DNA) the nuclear envelope. Gene electrotransfer (GET), i.e., transfection by means of pulsed electric fields, is a non-viral technique that can overcome these barriers in a safe and effective manner. GET has reached the clinical stage of investigations where it is currently being evaluated for its therapeutic benefits across a wide variety of indications. In this review, we formalize our current understanding of GET from a biophysical perspective and critically discuss the mechanisms by which electric field can aid in overcoming the barriers. We also identify the gaps in knowledge that are hindering optimization of GET in vivo.

Keywords

elektroporacija;genska terapija;genska transfekcija;electroporation;gene medicine;gene transfection;

Data

Language: English
Year of publishing:
Typology: 1.02 - Review Article
Organization: UL FE - Faculty of Electrical Engineering
UDC: 602.621
COBISS: 95378435 Link will open in a new window
ISSN: 1567-5394
Views: 31
Downloads: 24
Average score: 0 (0 votes)
Metadata: JSON JSON-RDF JSON-LD TURTLE N-TRIPLES XML RDFA MICRODATA DC-XML DC-RDF RDF

Other data

Secondary language: Slovenian
Secondary keywords: elektroporacija;genska terapija;genska transfekcija;
Type (COBISS): Article
Pages: str. 1-26
Volume: ǂVol. ǂ144
Issue: 107994
Chronology: Apr. 2022
DOI: 10.1016/j.bioelechem.2021.107994
ID: 16252674