title: Non-viral nucleic acid containing nanoparticles as cancer therapeutics.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The delivery of nucleic acids such as DNA and short interfering RNA (siRNA) is promising for the treatment of many diseases, including cancer, by enabling novel biological mechanisms of action. Non-viral nanoparticles are a promising class of nucleic acid carriers that can be designed to be safer and more versatile than traditional viral vectors.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this review, recent advances in the intracellular delivery of DNA and siRNA are described with a focus on non-viral nanoparticle-based delivery methods. Material properties that have enabled successful delivery are discussed as well as applications that have directly been applied to cancer therapy. Strategies to co-deliver different nucleic acids are highlighted, as are novel targets for nucleic acid co-delivery.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The treatment of complex genetically-based diseases such as cancer can be enabled by safe and effective intracellular delivery of multiple nucleic acids. Non-viral nanoparticles can be fabricated to deliver multiple nucleic acids to the same cell simultaneously to prevent tumor cells from easily compensating for the knockdown or overexpression of one genetic target. The continued innovation of new therapeutic modalities and non-viral nanotechnologies to provide target-specific and personalized forms of gene therapy hold promise for genetic medicine to treat diseases like cancer in the clinic.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Biomedical Engineering, the Institute for NanoBioTechnology, & the Translational Tissue Engineering Center , Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine , Baltimore , MD , USA.
authors.forename: Kristen L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Kozielski
authors.affiliation: a Department of Biomedical Engineering, the Institute for NanoBioTechnology, & the Translational Tissue Engineering Center , Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine , Baltimore , MD , USA.
authors.forename: Yuan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Rui
authors.affiliation: a Department of Biomedical Engineering, the Institute for NanoBioTechnology, & the Translational Tissue Engineering Center , Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine , Baltimore , MD , USA.|b Departments of Ophthalmology, Oncology, Neurosurgery, and Materials Science & Engineering , Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine , Baltimore , MD , USA.
authors.forename: Jordan J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Green
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004247:DNA / Q000008:administration & dosage; D015316:Genetic Therapy / Q000379:methods; D005822:Genetic Vectors; D006801:Humans; D053758:Nanoparticles; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000628:therapy*; D009696:Nucleic Acids / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering / Q000008:administration & dosage
chemical_list: D009696:Nucleic Acids; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering; D004247:DNA
keywords: Cancer; DNA; gene delivery; gene therapy; nanoparticle; polymer; siRNA