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Review
. 2018 Mar;37(1):107-124.
doi: 10.1007/s10555-017-9717-6.

RNA interference-based therapy and its delivery systems

Xiuhui Chen  1   2 , Lingegowda S Mangala  1   3 , Cristian Rodriguez-Aguayo  3   4 , Xianchao Kong  2 , Gabriel Lopez-Berestein  3   4 , Anil K Sood  5   6   7
Affiliations
Review

RNA interference-based therapy and its delivery systems

Xiuhui Chen et al. Cancer Metastasis Rev. 2018 Mar.

Abstract

RNA interference (RNAi) is considered a highly specific approach for gene silencing and holds tremendous potential for treatment of various pathologic conditions such as cardiovascular diseases, viral infections, and cancer. Although gene silencing approaches such as RNAi are widely used in preclinical models, the clinical application of RNAi is challenging primarily because of the difficulty in achieving successful systemic delivery. Effective delivery systems are essential to enable the full therapeutic potential of RNAi. An ideal nanocarrier not only addresses the challenges of delivering naked siRNA/miRNA, including its chemically unstable features, extracellular and intracellular barriers, and innate immune stimulation, but also offers "smart" targeted delivery. Over the past decade, great efforts have been undertaken to develop RNAi delivery systems that overcome these obstacles. This review presents an update on current progress in the therapeutic application of RNAi with a focus on cancer therapy and strategies for optimizing delivery systems, such as lipid-based nanoparticles.

Keywords: Cancer therapy; Delivery systems; Nanoparticles; RNA interference.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflicts of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest related to the topics discussed here.

Figures

Fig 1
Fig 1
The destiny of synthetic siRNA-loaded nanoparticles with desirable structural and functional properties. (A) Components of ideally designed nanoparticles for RNAi delivery; (B) Process of RNAi; (C) Clinical application of siRNA-based drugs.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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