Nanohale – PEI(-PEG)/siRNA nanoscale complexes, inducing RNA interference (RNAi), for systemic and local siRNA delivery to the lung

RNA interference (RNAi) is a powerful strategy to inhibit the expression of any (pathologically relevant) gene of interest. It is mediated through small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) which trigger specific mRNA degradation. Their instability and poor delivery into target tissues, however, so far severely limits their therapeutic use and requires the development of nanoscale delivery systems. Polyethylenimines (PEIs) are synthetic polymers which are able to form non-covalent complexes with siRNAs allowing their protection from nucleolytic degradation, efficient cellular uptake through endocytosis and intracellular re…