ABSTRACT
Abstract ................................................................................................. 176 6.1 Introduction .................................................................................. 176 6.2 Challenges with siRNA Delivery ................................................. 180 6.3 siRNA Delivery Approaches ........................................................ 182 6.4 Need for Liposomal Delivery ...................................................... 185 6.5 Excipient-Driven siRNA Delivery ............................................... 187 6.6 Formulation Aspects .................................................................... 191 6.7 siRNA for Cancer Therapy .......................................................... 194 6.8 Toxicity Concerns of Cationic Liposomes ................................... 194 6.9 Clinical Relevance of siRNA Delivery Vehicles ......................... 195 6.10 Conclusion ................................................................................... 197 Keywords .............................................................................................. 197 References ............................................................................................. 197
PREETHI NAIK and MANGAL S. NAGARSENKER*
Department of Pharmaceutics, Bombay College of Pharmacy, Mumbai 400098, India
*Corresponding author. E-mail: mangal.nagarsenker@gmail.com
ABSTRACT
Over the past decade, research in the field of gene silencing mediated through the RNA interference (RNAi)-driven small interfering ribonucleic acid (siRNA)-based therapies has grown exponentially. Though siRNA has shown the potential to address a wide array of diseases, it has failed to deliver on that promise because of the challenge of intracellular delivery. Nanocarrier systems, suitably designed to form supramolecular assemblies with siRNA, can aid in achieving safe and effective delivery of siRNA to the cytosol of target cells. This chapter discusses the phenomenon of RNAi, the different attempts for improving intracellular delivery of siRNA with special focus on excipient driven liposomal nanocarrier systems, clinical relevance of siRNA delivery vehicles, and the toxicity concerns associated with such carrier systems.
