title: Formulation approaches to short interfering RNA and MicroRNA: challenges and implications.
abstract: RNA interference has emerged as a potentially powerful tool in the treatment of genetic and acquired diseases by delivering short interfering RNA (siRNA) or microRNA (miRNA) to target genes, resulting in their silencing. However, many physicochemical and biological barriers have to be overcome to obtain efficient in vivo delivery of siRNA and miRNA molecules to the organ/tissue of interest, thereby enabling their effective clinical therapy. This review discusses the challenges associated with the use of siRNA and miRNA and describes the nonviral delivery strategies used in overcoming these barriers. More specifically, emphasis has been placed on those technologies that have progressed to clinical trials for both local and systemic siRNA and miRNA delivery.
authors.affiliation: Division of Pharmaceutics, College of Pharmacy, The University of Texas at Austin, Texas 78712-0120, USA.
authors.forename: Diana
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Guzman-Villanueva
authors.forename: Ibrahim M
authors.initials: IM
authors.lastname: El-Sherbiny
authors.forename: Dea
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Herrera-Ruiz
authors.forename: Alexander V
authors.initials: AV
authors.lastname: Vlassov
authors.forename: Hugh D C
authors.initials: HD
authors.lastname: Smyth
mesh_terms: D002626:Chemistry, Pharmaceutical; D020868:Gene Silencing; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000737:chemistry*; D034622:RNA Interference; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D035683:MicroRNAs; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering