In vitro and in vivo electric field-mediated permeabilization, gene transfer, and expression

Electropulsation is one of the non-viral methods successfully used to transfer genes into living cells in vitro as in vivo. This approach shows promise in the field of gene and cellular therapies. The present paper first describes the factors controlling electropermeabilization to small molecules (<4 kDa) and then the processes supporting DNA transfer in vitro. The description of in vitro events brings the attention of the reader to the processes occurring before, during, and after electropulsation of DNA and cells. Their developments for the in vivo processes are reported in the final part where the present and potential clinical applications are described. (C) 2003 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.