Polyamine conjugates for non-viral gene therapy

Polyamines Polyamines are naturally occurring small molecules and are found in high concentrations particularly in eukaryotic cells. Polyamines are often essentially fully protonated under physiological condition and these polycations also bind to DNA .Polyamines are present in chromatin and are believed to be involved in many cellular events and also to protect DNA from damage by free radicals. It is widely believed that gene therapy will become an efficient medicine for the treatment of diseases such as cancer, cystic fibrosis and for vaccination .The essential requirements for gene delivery are the transport of DNA through the cell membrane and ultimately to the nucleus. Different strategies have been used for the delivery of genetic material into target cells, classified as viral or non viral delivery systems. Efficient non viral formulation should be able to deliver safely the required DNA across the various cellular barriers to the nucleus.