miRNAs in Gastrointestinal Diseases: Can We Effectively Deliver RNA-based Therapeutics orally?

Abstract

Nucleic acid-based therapeutics are evaluated for their potential of treating a plethora of diseases, including cancer and inflammation. Short nucleic acids, such as miRNAs, have emerged as versatile regulators for gene expression and are studied for therapeutic purposes. However, their inherent instability in vivo following enteral and parenteral administration has prompted the development of novel methodologies for their delivery. Although research on the oral delivery of siRNAs is progressing, with the development and utilization of promising carrier-based methodologies for the treatment of a plethora of gastrointestinal diseases, research on miRNA-based oral therapeutics is lagging behind. In this review, we present the potential role of miRNAs in diseases of the GI tract, and analyze current research and the cardinal features of the novel carrier systems used for nucleic acid oral delivery that can be expanded for oral miRNA administration.

Keywords:

• delivery
• miRNA therapeutics
• non-viral vectors
• oral delivery

Financial & competing interests disclosure

This work was supported by the College of Pharmacy, University of Louisiana at Monroe start-up funding and the NIH through the National Institute of General Medical Science Grants 5 P20 GM103424-15, 3 P20 GM103424-15S1 to G Mattheolabakis and was supported by funds from the University of California, Davis and R21CA213114 to GG Mackenzie. The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.

No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.