ABSTRACT
Mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs) are inorganic materials with a highly ordered network of pores within a silicon oxide framework. This chapter focuses on describing the multiple advantages of using MSNs for the delivery of small interfering ribonucleic acid (siRNA). The outstanding structural features associated with the MSN platform bestow them with superior performance for combination therapies. MSNs have been investigated for siRNA delivery for various disorders such as cancer, fibrosis, and osteoporosis. Despite RNA therapeutics is mainly investigated for cancer treatment, their applications go beyond cancer. Theranostic platforms integrate simultaneous bioimaging and drug delivery for the treatment of a disease using a single nanocarrier. MSNs are ideal candidates for theranostic applications owing to the facile functionalization of their internal/external surfaces. RNA therapeutics is a burgeoning field in medicine that has the potential to target a wide variety of diseases.
