Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 27, 2026
08:31
Porous Silicon Microparticles for Delivery of siRNA Therapeutics
Published on: January 15, 2015
Hydrogels as Suitable miRNA Delivery Systems: A Review.
Haseena Makada1, Moganavelli Singh1
1Nano-Gene and Drug Delivery Laboratory, Discipline of Biochemistry, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Private Bag X54001, Durban 4000, South Africa.
Polymers
|April 12, 2025
Summary
Hydrogels show promise for delivering microRNAs (miRNAs) in therapeutics, overcoming challenges like degradation and short half-life. This review explores hydrogel fabrication and sustained miRNA delivery for drug development.
Area of Science:
- Biomaterials Science
- Molecular Biology
- Drug Delivery Systems
Background:
- MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are crucial regulators with therapeutic potential, but their clinical translation is hindered by in vivo instability.
- Hydrogels, cross-linked polymer networks, offer versatile properties for drug delivery applications.
- Current research on hydrogels primarily focuses on wound healing, with limited exploration of their nucleic acid carrier capabilities.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review recent advancements in hydrogel systems for microRNA (miRNA) delivery.
- To highlight hydrogels as promising carriers for overcoming miRNA instability in therapeutic applications.
- To consolidate information on hydrogel fabrication, sustained miRNA release, and biomedical potential.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of hydrogel fabrication techniques relevant to miRNA encapsulation.
- Analysis of strategies for achieving sustained miRNA release from hydrogel matrices.
- Examination of existing and potential biomedical applications of miRNA-loaded hydrogels.
Main Results:
- Hydrogel systems, when combined with miRNA modification and inorganic carriers, demonstrate potential for sustained miRNA delivery.
- Hydrogels can mitigate the degradation and short in vivo half-life issues associated with miRNA therapeutics.
- Emerging research indicates hydrogels' capacity to serve as effective nucleic acid carriers.
Conclusions:
- Hydrogels represent a promising platform for developing novel miRNA-based therapeutics.
- Further research into hydrogel-based miRNA delivery systems is warranted to advance clinical applications.
- Hydrogels offer a viable strategy to enhance the stability and efficacy of miRNA therapeutics.
Related Concept Videos
01:22MicroRNAs
MicroRNA (miRNA) are short, regulatory RNA transcribed from introns—non-coding regions of a gene—or intergenic regions—stretches of DNA present between genes. Several processing steps are required to form biologically active, mature miRNA. The initial transcript, called primary miRNA (pri-mRNA), base-pairs with itself forming a stem-loop structure. Within the nucleus, an endonuclease enzyme, called Drosha, shortens the stem-loop structure into hairpin-shaped pre-miRNA. After the pre-miRNA ends...
01:23RNA Interference
RNA interference (RNAi) is a process in which a small non-coding RNA molecule blocks the post-transcriptional expression of a gene by binding to its messenger RNA (mRNA) and preventing the protein from being translated.
This process occurs naturally in cells, often through the activity of genomically-encoded microRNAs. Researchers can take advantage of this mechanism by introducing synthetic RNAs to deactivate specific genes for research or therapeutic purposes. For example, RNAi could be used...
This process occurs naturally in cells, often through the activity of genomically-encoded microRNAs. Researchers can take advantage of this mechanism by introducing synthetic RNAs to deactivate specific genes for research or therapeutic purposes. For example, RNAi could be used...
01:22MicroRNAs
MicroRNA (miRNA) are short, regulatory RNA transcribed from introns—non-coding regions of a gene—or intergenic regions—stretches of DNA present between genes. Several processing steps are required to form biologically active, mature miRNA. The initial transcript, called primary miRNA (pri-mRNA), base-pairs with itself forming a stem-loop structure. Within the nucleus, an endonuclease enzyme, called Drosha, shortens the stem-loop structure into hairpin-shaped pre-miRNA. After the pre-miRNA ends...
02:30siRNA - Small Interfering RNAs
Small interfering RNAs, or siRNAs, are short regulatory RNA molecules that can silence genes post-transcriptionally, as well as the transcriptional level in some cases. siRNAs are important for protecting cells against viral infections and silencing transposable genetic elements.
In the cytoplasm, siRNA is processed from a double-stranded RNA, which comes from either endogenous DNA transcription or exogenous sources like a virus. This double-stranded RNA is then cleaved by the ATP-dependent...
In the cytoplasm, siRNA is processed from a double-stranded RNA, which comes from either endogenous DNA transcription or exogenous sources like a virus. This double-stranded RNA is then cleaved by the ATP-dependent...
02:15Experimental RNAi
RNA interference (RNAi) is a cellular mechanism that inhibits gene expression by suppressing its transcription or activating the RNA degradation process. The mechanism was discovered by Andrew Fire and Craig Mello in 1998 in plants. Today, it is observed in almost all eukaryotes, including protozoa, flies, nematodes, insects, parasites, and mammals. This precise cellular mechanism of gene silencing has been developed into a technique that provides an efficient way to identify and determine the...
01:22MicroRNAs
MicroRNA (miRNA) are short, regulatory RNA transcribed from introns (non-coding regions of a gene) or intergenic regions (stretches of DNA present between genes). Several processing steps are required to form biologically active, mature miRNA. The initial transcript, called primary miRNA (pri-mRNA), base-pairs with itself, forming a stem-loop structure. Within the nucleus, an endonuclease enzyme, called Drosha, shortens the stem-loop structure into hairpin-shaped pre-miRNA. After the pre-miRNA...