Plastic surgical delivery systems for targeted gene therapy

The expansion of gene therapy applications from inherited disorders to acquired conditions has been mirrored by an exponential rise in both experimental work and clinical trials. This review highlights current plastic surgical delivery systems and clinical applications for targeted gene therapy. We revisit some of the vectors used both experimentally and in clinical gene therapy trials, with an emphasis on developments in plastic surgical delivery systems resulting in improved targeting of therapeutic genes. In addition, we discuss a novel technique for the delivery of gene therapy using the ex vivo transduction of free flaps, developed in our laboratory. This delivery system achieves targeted high-level transgene expression with minimal demonstrable systemic toxicity. Advances in delivery systems are essential for translating basic research into clinical therapeutics.