Nano vectors with a biosurfactant for gene transfection and drug delivery

Nano vectors are useful tools for delivery of foreign DNA and oligonucleotides into mammalian cells in gene transfection, drug delivery, and gene therapy. In experiments with nano vectors the cationic liposomes have been widely used for their high transfection efficiency and low toxicity. Recently, we have found that nano vectors containing a biosurfactant, which is a surface-active compound produced by microorganisms growing on water-insoluble substrates, increased the efficiency in gene transfection dramatically in vitro and in vivo. This was due to a new pathway of gene delivery into the target cells via the fusion with the plasma membranes. In this paper, we will introduce this interesting nano vector, as we believe it will become a new operating technique with great potential.