Lipid-based siRNA Delivery Systems: Challenges, Promises and Solutions Along the Long Journey

RNA interference (RNAi) is an evolutionary conserved highly specific gene-silencing mechanism initiated by small interfering RNA (siRNA) molecules. Fast-paced preclinical and clinical studies helped the siRNA technology become an efficient tool for undruggable targets in different diseases including genetic diseases, viral diseases and cancer. Despite great feature of siRNAs that can down-regulate any protein in the cells, the full potential and the success of the preclinical studies could not be translated into largely successful clinical outcomes. It has become clear that the possibility of overcoming the pitfalls for in vivo siRNA therapy fully depends on delivery systems. In this review, we start with the challenges and barriers for in vivo siRNA delivery. Then we briefly discuss the recent developments in siRNA modification technology. We specifically focused on siRNA lipidation and delivery approaches with special emphasis on the lipid based hybrid systems. Here we summarize the journey of lipid-based micelle-like nanoparticle systems that combine longevity in blood, effective cellular uptake and endosomal escape for successful siRNA delivery and discuss the multifunctional stimuli-sensitive systems based on lipids as the next generation smart systems.