title: Bioconjugates for targeted delivery of therapeutic oligonucleotides.
abstract: Bioconjugates have been used to deliver therapeutic oligonucleotides to their pharmacological targets in diseased cells. Molecular-scale conjugates can be prepared by directly linking targeting ligands with oligonucleotides and the resultant conjugates can selectively bind to cell surface receptors in target cells in diseased tissues. Besides targeted delivery, additional functionality can be incorporated in the conjugates by utilization of carrier molecules, and these larger conjugates are called carrier-associated conjugates. Both molecular and carrier-associated conjugates have achieved initial successes in clinical trials for treating liver diseases; therefore, currently the greater challenge is to deliver oligonucleotides to extrahepatic tissues such as tumors. This review will provide an update on the application of oligonucleotide conjugates for targeted delivery during the last decade. By identifying key elements for successful delivery, it is suggested that oligonucleotide conjugates with intermediate size, cell targeting ability, and endosomal release functionality are superior systems to advance oligonucleotides to achieve their full therapeutic potentials.
authors.affiliation: Division of Molecular Pharmaceutics, UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA. Electronic address: xming@email.unc.edu.
authors.forename: Xin
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Ming
authors.affiliation: Division of Molecular Pharmaceutics, UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA.
authors.forename: Brian
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Laing
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004337:Drug Carriers / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D016503:Drug Delivery Systems; D006801:Humans; D008024:Ligands; D058726:Nanoconjugates / Q000737:chemistry*; D009841:Oligonucleotides / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000378:metabolism; D011485:Protein Binding; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D004337:Drug Carriers; D008024:Ligands; D058726:Nanoconjugates; D009841:Oligonucleotides; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface
keywords: Antisense; Conjugates; Oligonucleotides; Targeted delivery; siRNA