Table 1.

Properties of effective nucleic acid delivery vehicles.

Property	Function	Material examples	Schematic
Nucleic acid packaging	Condense, package, and protect DNA, RNA, or siRNA	PEI, PLL, PAMAM, liposomes
Stability	Prevent premature unpackaging and avoid sequestration and clearance	PEG, albumin
Targeting	CNS localization and cell-specific uptake	Peptides, antibodies, proteins
Endosomal escape	Facilitate release from the endosome to avoid lysosomal degradation	Melittin, pH sensitive materials, amines for proton sponge effect
Cargo release	Triggered release or detachment from nucleic acid	Disulfide linkages