Table 5.

Advantages and disadvantages of inorganic materials used in gene delivery.

Inorganic Material	Advantages	Disadvantages
Metal nanoparticles	Allow molecular tracking after administration, can be modified to achieve targeting, biocompatible, and easy manufacturing	Special equipment is required for preparation
Quantum dots	Capable of conjugating with many ligands and biomolecules for specialized targeting, and very sensitive to tracking probes	Production mechanism is complex and requires sensitive handling
Carbon nanotubes	Nanosized, amazing capacity to load drugs, remarkable efficiency, and chemically inert	Poor aqueous solubility, complex manufacturing, and expensive
Silica-based systems	Allow vast chemical modification, low cytotoxicity, good storage capacity, stable, and amazing capacity to load drugs	Can cause disruption in metabolic process, toxicity, and hemolysis