Abstract

RNA interference (RNAi) is a powerful endogenous process initiated by short double stranded RNAs, which results in sequence-specific posttranscriptional gene silencing. The ability to block the expression of any disease-causing or disease-related protein emphasizes the huge therapeutic potential of this technology. In a clinical setting, however, the use of RNAi-based therapeutics is limited by their short serum half lives and poor uptake into cells. In this review, we provide an overview of recent patents in the field of short interfering RNA (siRNA) delivery and discuss recent progress in the development of efficient siRNA delivery vehicles enhancing the pharmacokinetic properties of RNAi-based therapeutics and promoting cellular uptake.

Keywords: RNA interference, specific knock-down, non-targeted delivery, targeted delivery, cell-specific ligands