Nanoparticle-Based Delivery of siRNA and miRNA for Cancer Therapy

Abstract Recent advance in the study of cancer genome has led to the realization that small interference RNAs (siRNAs) provide an attractive type of anticancer reagents that can inhibit the expression of genes that are upregulated or whose gene products are overactivated in human cancer. In addition, microRNAs (miRNAs) provide another type of anticancer agents that can affect multiple genes involved in signal transduction. However, the issue of delivery of these reagents needs to be overcome before they can be used extensively for cancer therapy. One of the solutions for this problem is to use nanoparticles that can carry siRNAs or miRNAs and deliver them to tumor. Various types of nanoparticles have been used to deliver these RNAs. They include mesoporous silica nanoparticles surface modified with cationic polymers as well as liposomes, dendrimers, or block copolymers. The use of siRNAs and miRNAs to block the signaling pathways important for cancer cells will be discussed. Different types of nanoparticles used to deliver these molecules will be mentioned and the prospect of these delivery vehicles playing an important role in the implementation of these reagents in medicine will be discussed.