Targeted Gene Delivery to Skin Cells In Vivo: A Comparative Study of Liposomes and Polymers as Delivery Vehicles

The study conducted on 6-day-old rat pups compared the effectiveness of various liposome and nonliposome formulations for delivering beta-galactosidase and luciferase reporter genes into skin cells. The results indicated that nonionic liposomes were the most efficient vehicle for transdermal gene delivery, outperforming nonionic/cationic and pegylated phospholipid liposomes. In contrast, a propylene glycol:ethanol:water mixture (used for minoxidil delivery) and PINC polymers were less effective in delivering the genetic material. This research suggests that nonionic liposomes offer a promising method for gene therapy and drug delivery to the skin.