Advanced Delivery And Therapeutic Applications Of Rnai

RNA interference (RNAi) is a process in living cells whereby small, modified versions of RNA can interfere with the normal expression of DNA, altering which genes are active and by how much. Researchers are using this process to develop technologies for modifying and studying genetic process, with potential uses in medicine, biotechnology, and functional genomics.

Advanced Delivery and Therapeutic Applications of RNAi is a comprehensive guide to RNAi basics, RNAi delivery and therapeutic applications of RNAi, with contributions from an international panel of experts. Contents include:

- design and mechanism of RNAi molecules: chemical synthesized small interfering RNA (siRNA), long double-stranded RNA (dsRNA), and DNA-based (plasmid or viral vector) short hairpin RNA (shRNA)- mechanisms and barriers to siRNA and shRNA delivery- subcellular fate and intracellular trafficking of siRNA, shRNA and mRNA- role of promoters and miRNA backbone for efficient nuclear export of shRNA- analysis of siRNA delivery using various methodologies - PK/PD profiles of small RNAs - minimizing cytotoxicity and off-target effects - delivery strategies, including bioconjugation, cationic lipids, biomaterials, carbon nanotubes, motor pRNA, peptides and fusion proteins, polycation-modified mesoporous silica nanoparticles, multifunctional nanoparticles, micelles, dendrimers, nanogels, stem cells, viral mediation, local delivery, and co-delivery. - therapeutic applications of RNAi in various diseases, including cancer, liver diseases, viral infections, ocular diseases, in stem cell research, and in cell and organ transplantation- microRNAs as therapeutic agents and targets- preclinical, regulatory, market, and intellectual perspectives of RNAi technologies - challenges and opportunities in bringing RNAi technologies from bench to clinic

Advanced Delivery and Therapeutic Applications of RNAi presents the essential aspects of developing RNAi therapeutics, and will find a place on the bookshelves of researchers working in RNAi, drug discovery and delivery, molecular biology, biomedical engineering and biomaterials, pharmacology, and biotechnology.

Professor Kun Cheng, Division of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, University of Missouri-Kansas City, USA
Professor Cheng's research interests include the delivery and therapeutic applications of RNAi for breast cancer, prostate cancer, liver diseases, and type I diabetes. He has been working in the area of nucleic acids since 2002. He is co-editor of Advanced Drug Delivery with Dr. Ashim Mitra and Dr. Chi Lee (Wiley, 2012). He has also co-edited a themed issue entitled "siRNA Delivery" with Dr. Ram Mahato for the journal Molecular Pharmaceutics, and has developed and taught a graduate course entitled "Protein and Nucleic Acid Drug Delivery".

Professor Ram I. Mahato, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, USA
Professor Mahato is a full professor of Pharmaceutics and Drug/Gene Delivery at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center Memphis. He is the author or co-author of 85 peer reviewed articles and book chapters. He has also edited/written five books and six special journal issues. He is a Special Features Editor of Pharmaceutical Research and on the editorial board of several journals. His research interest includes delivery and targeting of small molecules, oligonucleotides, siRNA and genes.