Study and Evaluation of the Potential of Lipid Nanocarriers for Transdermal Delivery of siRNA.

The topical delivery of siRNA-based therapies has opened new avenues for the treatment of skin disorders. The use of siRNA as a therapeutic, however, is limited due to its rapid degradation and poor cellular uptake. Furthermore, the top layer of skin, the stratum corneum, is a major barrier to the delivery of topical agents. There is an unmet need for efficient topical formulations for delivering siRNA to the site of action. In this study, we used 1,2-dioleoyl-3-trimethylammonium-propane (DOTAP) or lipofectamine to prepare a nanocarrier for delivering siRNA against glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH); GAPDH expression was then evaluated at the cellular level. In addition, a dermal transport assay was designed and implemented to evaluate the penetration and delivery efficacy of siRNA in pig skin using lipid nanocarriers. The delivery of siRNA with the use of a lipid nanocarrier was significantly better than the delivery of siRNA without it. Thus, Our findings identify lipid nanocarriers as excellent candidates for the transdermal delivery of siRNA for gene silencing in the skin and thus for applications in related preclinical models.