Frontiers in Bioscience-Landmark (FBL) is published by IMR Press from Volume 26 Issue 5 (2021). Previous articles were published by another publisher on a subscription basis, and they are hosted by IMR Press on imrpress.com as a courtesy and upon agreement with Frontiers in Bioscience.
Targeted gene delivery via selective cellular receptors has been realized as a crucial strategy for successful gene therapy by maximizing therapeutic efficiency in target cells and minimizing systemic toxicity. The membrane carbohydrate-binding proteins (membrane lectins) with different carbohydrate specificities are differentially expressed on the cellular and intracellular membranes of a number of cells. Their multiplicity, high affinity, and effective endocytosis after receptor binding as well as the biocompatibility of carbohydrate ligands endow them as potential ligands for glycosylated carriers in cell-selective delivery of nucleic acids. To achieve the in vivo application, glycosylated carriers/nucleic acid complexes have to fulfill certain conditions, including having a suitable size, minimal nonspecific interactions, low immunogenicity, and high uptake in target cells. Accordingly, the effective nuclear delivery of nucleic acids is the paramount important step for efficient gene transfer. This review summarizes the recent progress regarding application of glycosylated carriers for cell-selective and nuclear delivery of nucleic acids and their critical factors for efficient gene transfer. In addition, the development of new materials, such as carbon nanotubes, carbon nanospheres, and gold nanoparticles, as innovative carriers will be discussed with regards to glycosylation-mediated delivery of nucleic acids.