Abstract: Chitosan is a widespread natural cationic polysaccharide with characteristics of safty，nontoxicity，excellent biocompatibility and biodegradability. Chitosan has potential applications in non-viral gene delivery，while it is restricted by its poor solubility，weak targeting and low transfection efficiency. In response to these shortcomings，a series of chitosan derivatives for gene carriers have been investigated through modification of chitosan. This review presents the status and development of modified chitosan derivatives as non-viral gene deliveries with emphasis on the cytotoxicity and transfection efficiency.

摘要： 壳聚糖是自然界中广泛存在的天然阳离子多糖，生物相容性和生物降解性能好、安全无毒，作为非病毒基因载体具有潜在的应用价值，但壳聚糖溶解性差、靶向性弱和转染率低等缺点限制了其应用。针对这些缺点，研究者对壳聚糖进行修饰改性，制备了一系列壳聚糖衍生物作为基因载体。本文就近年来改性壳聚糖衍生物用作非病毒基因载体的研究结果作简要综述，重点介绍其细胞毒性和转染能力。