Abstract
Gene therapy has the potential to treat and ultimately cure many diseases, including cancer and cardiovascular disease. It relies on the transfer of genetic material such as DNA to the site of disease. Clinical trials have demonstrated the feasibility of this approach, but also documented short-comings in the efficiency of DNA delivery. Several technologies have the ability to carry DNA to cells and are being investigated in the laboratory or the clinic. The most recent addition to this list is ultrasound, having the ability to cause the internalization of genetic material into cells, where it can function in a therapeutic way. This review addresses the issues pertinent to gene therapy from the perspective of gene delivery and highlights the usefulness of ultrasound in this field.