Table 1.

Advantages and disadvantages of several NPs for nucleic acid delivery

Types	Advantages	Disadvantages	References
Liposome	▪ Self-assemble as multilamellar cationic liposome-nucleic acid (lipoplex) ▪ Efficient and functional delivery of nucleic acids	▪ Inconsistent storage characteristics ▪ Colloidal instability ▪ Instability in organic fluids ▪ Unpredictable efficacy ▪ Cytotoxicities	[29–32]
Lipid	▪ Common nanocarriers ▪ Tolerable toxicity and low immunogenicity ▪ Safety ▪ Biodegradability and biocompatibility	▪ Difficulty of topical administration	[31–41]
Peptide	▪ Biodegradability ▪ Biocompatibility	▪ Not able to cross the cell membranes ▪ Effortlessly degraded with the enzymes	[42–45]
Polymer	▪ Biodegradable and appearance modifiable ▪ Extension of the effectiveness ▪ Non-carcinogenic ▪ Non-mutagenic and non-immunogenic	▪ Non-safety ▪ Toxicity	[46–50]
Dendrimers	▪ Assembles a number of proteins ▪ Attaining a range of functions ▪ Low toxicity ▪ Intracellular release and bioactivity of the delivered proteins	▪ Instability ▪ Weak interactions between gene-dendrimer ▪ Toxicity	[51–60]
Micelle	▪ Self-assembly ▪ Condensation and safety of nucleic acids ▪ Solubilization of hydrophobic and hydrophilic drugs or genes ▪ Safer toxicity	▪ Disassociate below the critical micelle forming concentration (CMC) ▪ Low stability as gene delivery	[61, 65]
Inorganic (metallic)	▪ Low cytotoxicity ▪ Diagnostic abilities via imaging ▪ Outstanding pharmacokinetic ▪ Crossing biological barriers ▪ Adjustable size ▪ Storage stability	▪ Difficulty in synthesis ▪ Biologically harmful	[43, 66–68]