Remodeling the tumor immune microenvironment via siRNA therapy for precision cancer treatment

How to effectively transform the pro-oncogenic tumor microenvironments (TME) surrounding a tumor into an anti-tumoral never fails to attract people to study. Small interfering RNA (siRNA) is considered one of the most noteworthy research directions that can regulate gene expression following a process known as RNA interference (RNAi). The research about siRNA delivery targeting tumor cells and TME has been on the rise in recent years. Using siRNA drugs to silence critical proteins in TME was one of the most efficient solutions. However, the manufacture of a siRNA delivery system faces three major obstacles, i.e., appropriate cargo protection, accurately targeted delivery, and site-specific cargo release. In the following review, we summarized the pharmacological actions of siRNA drugs in remolding TME. In addition, the delivery strategies of siRNA drugs and combination therapy with siRNA drugs to remodel TME are thoroughly discussed. In the meanwhile, the most recent advancements in the development of all clinically investigated and commercialized siRNA delivery technologies are also presented. Ultimately, we propose that nanoparticle drug delivery siRNA may be the future research focus of oncogene therapy. This summary offers a thorough analysis and roadmap for general readers working in the field.(c) 2023 Published by Elsevier B.V. on behalf of Shenyang Pharmaceutical University. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license ( http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/ )

Automated summary

This article provides a comprehensive review on the pharmacological actions of siRNA drugs in remodeling the tumor microenvironment, discusses the delivery strategies of siRNA drugs and their combination therapy, and proposes nanoparticle drug delivery siRNA as a future research focus for oncogene therapy.