Gene Therapy without Viruses

The promise of gene therapy has long been held up by the lack of a safe and effective way to insert the desired therapeutic genes into the right cells. To solve that problem, MIT researchers have developed a new polymer for gene therapy that is as effective as viruses, the standard carriers, but it seems to have none of the risks of viral treatments. The researchers have successfully tested a version of the polymer in mice with ovarian cancer, and they believe they can further modify the polymer to target virtually any cell in the body.

Gene therapy works by delivering to a specific group of diseased cells copies of a gene that corrects what ails them. "If you could get it [a gene] where it's needed, you could treat many diseases," says the MIT Center for Cancer Research's Daniel Anderson, one of the leaders of the polymer research group.

http://www.technologyreview.com/Biotech/19367/