title: Current siRNA targets in atherosclerosis and aortic aneurysm.
abstract: Atherosclerosis (ATH) and aortic aneurysms (AA) remain challenging chronic diseases that confer high morbidity and mortality despite advances in medical, interventional, and surgical care. RNA interference represents a promising technology that may be utilized to silence genes contributing to ATH and AA. Despite positive results in preclinical and some clinical feasibility studies, challenges such as target/sequence validation, tissue specificity, transfection efficiency, and mitigation of unwanted off-target effects remain to be addressed. In this review the most current targets and some novel approaches in siRNA delivery are being discussed. Due to the plethora of investigated targets, only studies published between 2010 and 2014 were included.
authors.affiliation: Division of Vascular and Endovascular Surgery, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USA.
authors.forename: Leena
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Pradhan-Nabzdyk
authors.forename: Chenyu
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Frank W
authors.initials: FW
authors.lastname: LoGerfo
authors.forename: Christoph S
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Nabzdyk
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001014:Aortic Aneurysm / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D050197:Atherosclerosis / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000378:metabolism; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D016503:Drug Delivery Systems; D020868:Gene Silencing; D005821:Genetic Techniques; D006801:Humans; D007155:Immunologic Factors; D051379:Mice; D034622:RNA Interference; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D007155:Immunologic Factors; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering