title: Transdermal Delivery of siRNA through Microneedle Array.
abstract: Successful development of siRNA therapies has significant potential for the treatment of skin conditions (alopecia, allergic skin diseases, hyperpigmentation, psoriasis, skin cancer, pachyonychia congenital) caused by aberrant gene expression. Although hypodermic needles can be used to effectively deliver siRNA through the stratum corneum, the major challenge is that this approach is painful and the effects are restricted to the injection site. Microneedle arrays may represent a better way to deliver siRNAs across the stratum corneum. In this study, we evaluated for the first time the ability of the solid silicon microneedle array for punching holes to deliver cholesterol-modified housekeeping gene (Gapdh) siRNA to the mouse ear skin. Treating the ear with microneedles showed permeation of siRNA in the skin and could reduce Gapdh gene expression up to 66% in the skin without accumulation in the major organs. The results showed that microneedle arrays could effectively deliver siRNA to relevant regions of the skin noninvasively.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics &Gynaecology, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong, China.|Shenzhen Research Institute, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, China.
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Deng
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics &Gynaecology, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong, China.|Shenzhen Research Institute, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, China.
authors.forename: Jiao
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics &Gynaecology, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong, China.
authors.forename: Yi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.affiliation: Department of Mechanical and Automation Engineering, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong, China.
authors.forename: Xiaohui
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Yan
authors.affiliation: Department of Mechanical and Automation Engineering, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong, China.|Chow Yuk Ho Technology Centre for Innovative Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China.
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics &Gynaecology, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong, China.|Shenzhen Research Institute, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, China.
authors.forename: Kwongwai
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Choy
authors.affiliation: Peking University Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen, China.
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.affiliation: State of Utah Centre of Excellence for Biomedical Microfluidics, Departments of Bioengineering and Mechanical Engineering, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA.
authors.forename: Himanshu J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Sant
authors.affiliation: State of Utah Centre of Excellence for Biomedical Microfluidics, Departments of Bioengineering and Mechanical Engineering, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA.
authors.forename: Bruce K
authors.initials: BK
authors.lastname: Gale
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics &Gynaecology, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong, China.|Shenzhen Research Institute, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, China.
authors.forename: Tao
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D015316:Genetic Therapy / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods*; D051379:Mice; D009339:Needles; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering / Q000494:pharmacology*; D012867:Skin
chemical_list: D034741:RNA, Small Interfering