ABSTRACT
Small interfering RNAs (siRNA) are promising tools for applications in gene silencing for therapy and functional analysis of genes. RNA interference typically induces specific down-regulation of the expression of the targeted gene. The key point for successful gene expression inhibition is delivery of siRNA into the cells. The design of safe, specific and efficient siRNA delivery systems is one of the main problems in this approach. In this context, carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are emerging as a prospective platform for the construction of siRNA delivery systems. To date, numerous methods have been proposed to construct siRNA-CNT hybrids as RNA interference instruments. In this review, the development of CNT-based siRNA delivery systems is summarized, focusing on the methods of siRNA immobilization on the CNT surface and the related investigation of the siRNA delivery and biological activity.
