Mihue Jang1, Jong Hwan Kim1, Hae Yun Nam2, Ick Chan Kwon1 & Hyung Jun Ahn1
1 Center for Theragnosis, Biomedical Research Institute, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, Seongbuk-Gu, Seoul 136-791, South Korea. 2 Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, 388-1 Pungnap-2 dong, Songpa-Gu, Seoul 136-736, South Korea.
Correspondence to : Hyung Jun Ahn
Abstract
For therapeutic applications of siRNA, there are technical challenges with respect to targeted and systemic delivery. We here report a new siRNA carrier, RNAtr NPs, in a way that multiple tandem copies of RNA hairpins as a result of rolling circle transcription (RCT) can be readily adapted in tumour-targeted and systemic siRNA delivery. RNAtr NPs provide a means of condensing large amounts of multimeric RNA transcripts into the compact nanoparticles, especially without the aid of polycationic agents, and thus reduce the risk of immunogenicity and cytotoxicity by avoiding the use of synthetic polycationic reagents. This strategy allows the design of a platform technology for systemic delivery of siRNA to tumour sites, because RCT reaction, which enzymatically generates RNA polymers in multiple copy numbers at low cost, can lead to directly accessible routes to targeted and systemic delivery. Therefore, RNAtr NPs suggest great potentials as the siRNA therapeutics for cancer treatment.