Title:Ideal and Reality: Barricade in the Delivery of Small Interfering RNA for Cancer Therapy
VOLUME: 17 ISSUE: 3
Author(s):Di Wu, Haobo Han, Zhen Xing, Jianxu Zhang, Li Li, Wei Shi and Quanshun Li
Affiliation:Key Laboratory for Molecular Enzymology and Engineering of Ministry of Education, School of Life Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun 130012, China.
Keywords:siRNA, gene silencing, barricade, delivery system, smart carrier.
Abstract:Small interfering RNA (siRNA) has been demonstrated to be a powerful tool
for silencing post-transcriptional gene expression, and thus exhibits great potential in
cancer gene therapy. However, siRNA technology has not become an established strategy
for cancer treatment, as it is a considerable challenge to deliver siRNA to the targeting
sites. In this review, barricades in the systemic delivery of siRNA were systematically
introduced, from pharmacokinetics, biodistribution and intracellular behavior. Meanwhile, current and potential
strategies for overcoming the barricades were elucidated, including chemical modification of siRNA, nanomaterial-based
delivery systems, and targeting and stimuli-responsive smart carriers. In conclusion, the siRNA-based gene silencing drug
will gain an important position for treating human diseases if we can solve the gap between ideal and reality.
