Although genomic research has opened up more new avenues for therapeutic interventions based on genetic therapy, it will not be possible to realize the full potential of these therapies until the issue of gene delivery has been resolved. With the development of nanotechnology, the systemic and cellular mechanisms of nanoparticulate carriers for gene delivery have been gradually elucidated. Research and applications of long-circulating and target-specific nanoparticulate carriers maybe help to allevate the gene delivery bottleneck, and realize the efficient, targeted and safe gene delivery.