Engineering periodic short hairpin RNA delivery systems for enhanced therapeutic efficacy

RNA interference (RNAi) presents a highly promising approach for cancer therapeutics via specific silencing of disease-implicated genes, but its clinical translation remains severely limited by barriers in delivering short interfering RNA (siRNA). Numerous delivery vehicles have been developed to protect siRNA from degradation, promote target cell uptake, and facilitate endosomal escape into the cytoplasm, where RNAi occurs. However, in vivo instability, low silencing efficiency, undesired toxicity, and immunogenicity remain challenges for current siRNA delivery systems, particularly as the low valency and high rigidity of siRNA make it difficult to condense into stable nanoparticles. Here we engineer the siRNA cargo to make it more amenable to stable encapsulation by using a polymeric form of siRNA, or periodic short hairpin RNA (p-shRNA), as well as design a biodegradable polycationic carrier for efficient in vivo delivery of p-shRNA.

Name thesis:degree_name

Doctoral

Department dc:contributor.department

Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Chemical Engineering

Grantor dc:publisher

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Year dc:date.issued

2019

Author dc:creator

• Wu, Connie,Ph. D.Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Paula T. Hammond.

• Chemical Engineering.

Statement dc:rights

• MIT theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed, downloaded, or printed from this source but further reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without written permission.

Licence dc:rights.uri

• http://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/7582

Language dc:language.iso

eng

Handle dc:identifier.uri

https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/121821

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:dspace.mit.edu:1721.1/121821