Safe and Efficient Delivery of Genome Editors: Viral and Non-Viral Vectors for Somatic Tissues

The advent of programmable genome editing technologies, including CRISPR-Cas systems, base editors, prime editors, and beyond, has transformed the landscape of precision medicine. Yet the therapeutic potential of these tools remains contingent on a fundamental challenge: delivering the editing machinery safely, specifically, and efficiently into the somatic tissues of living organisms.Despite remarkable advances in the field, no universal delivery solution exists. Viral vectors including adeno-associated viruses (AAV), lentiviruses, and adenoviruses offer high transduction efficiency and tissue tropism, but face constraints in cargo capacity, immunogenicity, and the risk of genotoxic integration. Non-viral approaches, including lipid nanoparticles (LNPs), polymer-based carriers, exosome-mediated delivery, and physical methods such as electroporation, offer complementary advantages in terms of safety profile, scalability, and payload flexibility, yet often struggle to match the in vivo efficiency of their viral counterparts.This Research Topic brings together cutting-edge research addressing the full spectrum of delivery strategies for somatic gene editing, with an emphasis on translational relevance. We welcome original research articles, reviews, and perspective pieces covering, but not limited to, the following key areas:1. Engineering of viral vectors for improved tissue specificity, reduced immunogenicity, and expanded cargo capacity2. Lipid nanoparticles and polymer-based systems optimised for in vivo delivery of mRNA, RNPs, or plasmid DNA encoding genome editors3. Extracellular vesicles and exosomes as endogenous delivery platforms for gene editing cargo4. Targeted delivery to specific somatic tissues including liver, lung, muscle, CNS, retina, and hematopoietic cells5. Immune responses to delivery vehicles and strategies to circumvent humoral and cellular immunity6. Comparative safety and efficacy of viral versus non-viral approaches in preclinical and clinical models7. Regulation, off-target effects, and genotoxicity associated with delivery modalities8. Clinical translation including regulatory considerations, manufacturing scalability, and patient stratificationAs genome editing therapies advance into clinical trials for conditions ranging from haemoglobinopathies to inherited blindness and neurodegenerative disease, the choice and optimisation of delivery vector is no longer a secondary consideration. It is a primary determinant of therapeutic success and patient safety. This Research Topic aims to consolidate the state of the field, highlight emerging platforms, and define priorities for the next generation of delivery science.We invite contributions from researchers working across molecular biology, bioengineering, nanomedicine, virology, immunology, and clinical translation. Topic editors: Huimin Kong, Ke Yi, Chenya Zhuo Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/82983/safe-and-efficient-delivery-of-genome-editors-viral-and-non-viral-vectors-for-somatic-tissues