Discusses recent advances in artificial self-assembling systems, including retrotransposon vectors, hairpin ribozymes, triple-helix-forming oligonucleotides, liposome-mediated transfection, and photonic nanostructures. Addresses developing efficient synthetic vectors such as modular self-assembling systems mimicking important features of viral vectors. Presents new developments in synthetic self-assembling gene delivery systems, including innovations in nonviral
systems, targeting nucleic acids, ligand-polylysine mediated transfer, dendrimer-mediated transfection, cationic liposomes, and polylysine DNA complexes.