Cyclodextrins and oligonucleotide delivery to solid tumours

Cyclodextrins (CyDs) have traditionally been used for dissolving hydrophobic chemicals into aqueous media, and more recently, for inducing cholesterol efflux from lipid-laden cells as a proposed mechanism for reversal of cardiovascular disease. This review discusses the potential of delivering therapeutic oligonucleotides to solid tumours using CyD molecules. The physicochemical properties of these oligosaccharide molecules, and the barriers posed by the solid tumour itself, factors that affect may affect the uptake of oligonucleotides by CyDs, are the major foci of this review.