Current status of cationic liposome-mediated gene therapy in cystic fibrosis

Gene therapy is actually seen as a useful approach to the treatment of a wide range of diseases, including single-gene disorders and polygenic diseases of multifactorial ethiology. Cystic fibrosis (CF), one of the most common single-gene diseases, has become a main target for treatments by somatic gene therapy. Human clinical trials have been performed in the past five years, using cationic liposome and adenovirus as vectors. The cationic liposome approach and the current progress in CF gene therapy are here briefly reviewed.