Nanocarrier mediated siRNA delivery targeting stem cell differentiation.

Nanocarrier mediated siRNA delivery targeting stem cell differentiation. Curr Stem Cell Res Ther. 2019 Dec 01;: Authors: Fernandes F, Kotharkar P, Chakravorty A, Kowshik M, Talukdar I Abstract Stem cell based regenerative medicine holds exceptional therapeutic potential and hence the development of efficient techniques to enhance control over the rate of differentiation has been the focus of active research. One of the strategies to achieve this involves delivering siRNA into stem cells and exploiting the RNA interference (RNAi) mechanism. Transport of siRNA across the cell membrane is a challenge due to its anionic property, especially in primary human cells and stem cells. Moreover, naked siRNA incites immune responses, may cause off-target effects, exhibits low stability and is easily degraded by endonucleases in the bloodstream. Although siRNA delivery using viral vectors and electroporation have been used in stem cells, these methods demonstrate low transfection efficiency, cytotoxicity, immunogenicity, events of integration and may involve laborious customization. With the advent of nanotechnology, nanocarriers which act as novel gene delivery vehicles designed to overcome the problems associated with safety and practicality are being developed. The various nanomaterials that are currently being explored and discussed in this review include liposomes, carbon nanotubes, quantum dots, protein and peptide nanocarriers, magnetic na...
Source: Current Stem Cell Research and Therapy - Category: Stem Cells Authors: Tags: Curr Stem Cell Res Ther Source Type: research