When choosing between inducing transient or stable expression in cells, time frame and experimental goal must be taken into consideration. Transiently transfected cells are often used to study the effects of short-term gene expression, perform RNA interference (RNAi)‑mediated gene silencing, or quickly generate small-scale recombinant proteins. This rapid generation small quantities of recombinant proteins can be applied towards evaluating their potential as drug candidates or examining their integrity of constructs during stages of vector development. Additionally, transient expression can be a useful tool when aiming to optimize selected parameters before undergoing the time-consuming process of scale-up in stably transfected cells. Typically, the cells are harvested within 1-4 days after successful transfection. For even quicker results, replacing DNA with mRNA can result in transient expression within minutes after successful transfection in some systems; this process bypasses translocation to the nucleus and transcription.
If stable, long-term gene expression is desired, stable transfection of cells is more useful. However, since successful integration of a DNA vector into the chromosome is a rare occurrence, this process is more difficult and time-consuming, and is reserved for large-scale protein production, gene therapies, and long-term pharmacology studies.