Abstract
Polysaccharides from marine sources have been increasingly used in recent research due to their availability, affordability, biocompatibility, and biodegradability. These features make them promising candidates for use in nanotechnology in a wide variety of drug delivery systems, including those for gene therapy, tissue engineering, cancer therapy, wound dressing, biosensors, and water purification. Marine polysaccharides are of particular interest due to their distinct physicochemical and biological properties like chitin, alginate, carrageenan, fucoidan, and chitosan has inspired an array of nanostructures. This article summarizes the history, chemical composition, biological functions, and nanomedical uses of these marine polysaccharides. Marine polysaccharides are the topic of this review due to their potential utility in gene transfer.