title: Rigid nanoparticle-based delivery of anti-cancer siRNA: challenges and opportunities.
abstract: Gene therapy is a promising strategy to treat various genetic and acquired diseases. Small interfering RNA (siRNA) is a revolutionary tool for gene therapy and the analysis of gene function. However, the development of a safe, efficient, and targetable non-viral siRNA delivery system remains a major challenge in gene therapy. An ideal delivery system should be able to encapsulate and protect the siRNA cargo from serum proteins, exhibit target tissue and cell specificity, penetrate the cell membrane, and release its cargo in the desired intracellular compartment. Nanomedicine has the potential to deal with these challenges faced by siRNA delivery. The unique characteristics of rigid nanoparticles mostly inorganic nanoparticles and allotropes of carbon nanomaterials, including high surface area, facile surface modification, controllable size, and excellent magnetic/optical/electrical properties, make them promising candidates for targeted siRNA delivery. In this review, recent progresses on rigid nanoparticle-based siRNA delivery systems will be summarized.
authors.affiliation: Center for Molecular Imaging and Translational Medicine, School of Public Health, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361102, China; Paul C. Lauterbur Research Center for Biomedical Imaging, Shenzhen Key Laboratory for MRI, Institute of Biomedical and Health Engineering, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China.
authors.forename: Zhiyong
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Center for Molecular Imaging and Translational Medicine, School of Public Health, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361102, China; State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, China; MOE key Lab of Spectrochemical Analysis & Instrumentation, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, China. Electronic address: gangliu.cmitm@xmu.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Gang
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Paul C. Lauterbur Research Center for Biomedical Imaging, Shenzhen Key Laboratory for MRI, Institute of Biomedical and Health Engineering, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China.
authors.forename: Hairong
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Molecular Imaging and Nanomedicine (LOMIN), National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, MD 20892, USA. Electronic address: shawn.chen@nih.gov.
authors.forename: Xiaoyuan
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000378:metabolism; D002130:Calcium Phosphates / Q000737:chemistry; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000378:metabolism; D005290:Ferric Compounds / Q000737:chemistry; D020868:Gene Silencing; D018014:Gene Transfer Techniques; D015316:Genetic Therapy / Q000379:methods; D006046:Gold / Q000737:chemistry; D006801:Humans; D007113:Immunity, Innate; D008024:Ligands; D053758:Nanoparticles / Q000737:chemistry*; D036103:Nanotechnology / Q000379:methods*; D037742:Nanotubes, Carbon / Q000737:chemistry; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000628:therapy*; D045663:Quantum Dots; D034622:RNA Interference; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000378:metabolism; D012822:Silicon Dioxide / Q000737:chemistry; D013499:Surface Properties
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D015415:Biomarkers; D002130:Calcium Phosphates; D005290:Ferric Compounds; D008024:Ligands; D037742:Nanotubes, Carbon; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering; C000499:ferric oxide; D006046:Gold; D012822:Silicon Dioxide; C020243:calcium phosphate
keywords: Gene delivery; Gene therapy; Nanoparticles; RNA interference (RNAi); Small-interfering RNA (siRNA)