Oral delivery of small RNA and DNA

The promise of short RNA or DNA segments such as siRNAs, antisense oligonucleotides, and transcription factor decoys to treat disease has prompted nearly 40 clinical trials for RNA interference (RNAi)-based therapeutics and more than 100 clinical trials for antisense oligonucleotide-based technologies; in fact, there are promising in vivo and preclinical studies for many hundreds of technologies. Current treatment strategies are largely injection-based, so effective oral delivery platforms for oligonucleotides may result in improved patient comfort and compliance. We analyze recently developed oral delivery methods for short RNA and DNA segments. (C) 2012 Elsevier B. V. All rights reserved.