RNA interference (RNAi)-based plasmonic nanomaterials for cancer diagnosis and therapy
Jinho Yoon1, Minkyu Shin2, Ji-Young Lee2
1Department of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, Sogang University, 35 Baekbeom-ro, Mapo-gu, Seoul 04107, Republic of Korea; Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey,123 Bevier Road, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA.
Abstract:
RNA interference (RNAi) is being extensively investigated as a potential therapeutic strategy for cancer treatment. However, RNAi-based therapeutics have not yet been used to treat cancer because of their instability and the difficulty of microRNA (miRNA) delivery. Plasmonic nanoparticle-based RNAi nanotherapeutics have been developed for accurate and sensitive diagnosis and a strong therapeutic effect on cancers by leveraging their ease-of-use and specific properties such as photothermal conversion. In this review, recent strategies and advances in plasmonic nanoparticle-based miRNA delivery are briefly presented to facilitate the detection and treatment of several cancers. The challenges and potential opportunities afforded by the RNAi-based theragnosis field are discussed. We expect that the RNAi-integrated plasmonic nanotherapeutics discussed in this review can provide insights for the early diagnosis and effective treatment of cancer.
