TABLE 1.
Overview of transfection methods.
| Method | Cell type | Effectiveness | Cost | Introduced molecule | Advantages | Disadvantages |
| Instrument-based methods of transfection | ||||||
| Microinjection | Any in vitro cell | Close to 100%; dependant on injected material | >$1,000 Grows with process automatization level | Any (DNA, RNA, spermatozoids, proteins, peptides, drugs.) | High efficiency; Precise dosing of injected material; selective delivery; low cytotoxicity | Maximum of 100–200 cells transfected in single treatment; Laborious process |
| Biolistic transfection | In vitro and in vivo; e.g., primary leukocytes–lymphocytes, macrophages, and splenocytes | High | High cost of necessary equipment; low cost of utilization | DNA RNA | Possible transfection through physical barriers like epidermidis; possible cotransfection of more than one DNAs in a single use; time efficient | High cost of gene gun; Tissue damage when transfecting small cells |
| Electroporation | In vitro and in vivo; See above | Low to moderate | >$1,000 | Plasmids; Oligonucleotides; mRNA; siRNA | High efficiency; Proven efficiency for use on tissues in vivo | High toxicity |
| Optical transfection | In vitro cells | Comparable to other physical methods | High cost of necessary equipment | DNA, RNA and larger objects | Ability to transfect single cells; Possible transfection with large objects | Diverse efficiency depending on technique |
| Virus-based methods of transfection | ||||||
| Adenoviruses | Dividing and non-dividing cells | Expression levels are very high at the beginning, but they quickly weaken in a matter of weeks | $500–$1,000 | DNA | No integration with the host cell chromosome; Easy viruses’ amplification; vectors stability in prolonged storage | Cannot induce prolonged expression; tendency to inducing a strong host immune response; Use possible only in laboratories with Biosafety Level 2 or higher |
| Adeno-associated virus | See above | See above | $500–$1,000 | DNA | No integration with host genome; weaker immunogenicity than adenoviruses | Cannot induce prolonged expression |
| Retroviruses | Dividing and non-dividing cells | Stable expression | ≈$1,000 | RNA | Stable transfected gene expression | Possible retroviral genotoxicity |
| Chemical transfection methods | ||||||
| Calcium phosphate | In vitro cells | High | <1,000$ | DNA | Inexpensive; high efficiency; applicable to wide range of cell types; allow to transient and stable transfection | transfection efficiency is influenced by small changes of pH; consistency of precipitate |
| Cationic lipids | In vitro and in vivo | High | <1,000$ | DNA, RNA, siRNA, and proteins | high efficiency; easy procedure; DNA, RNA and proteins may be introduced; allow to transient and stable transfection | does not work with certain cell types |
| DEAE-Dextran | In vitro cells | Moderate | <1,000$ | DNA and RNA | Inexpensive; quick and easy method; wide range of cell types may be transfected; DNA and RNA may be introduced | toxicity of DEAE-dextran high concentrations; only for transient transfection; proteins may not be introduced |
| Magnetic beads | In vitro cells | High | <1,000$ | DNA and RNA | simple method; high efficiency; DNA and RNA may be introduced | only adherent cells may be transfected; cells in suspension must be immobilized |