Gene delivery systems can be divided to two major types: vector-based (either viral\nvector or non-viral vector) and physical delivery technologies. Many physical carriers,\nsuch as electroporation, gene gun, ultrasound start to be proved to have the potential\nto enable gene therapy. A relatively new physical delivery technology for gene delivery\nconsists of microneedles (MNs), which has been studied in many fields and for many\nmolecule types and indications. Microneedles can penetrate the stratum corneum, which\nis the main barrier for drug delivery through the skin with ease of administration and\nwithout significant pain. Many different kinds of MNs, such as metal MNs, coated MNs,\ndissolving MNs have turned out to be promising in gene delivery. In this review, we\ndiscussed the potential as well as the challenges of utilizing MNs to deliver nucleic acids\nfor gene therapy. We also proposed that a combination of MNs and other gene delivery\napproaches may lead to a better delivery system for gene therapy.
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