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Engineering Small Interfering RNAs by Strategic Chemical Modification

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siRNA Design

Part of the book series: Methods in Molecular Biology ((MIMB,volume 942))

Abstract

Synthetic small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) have revolutionized functional genomics in mammalian cell cultures due to their reliability, efficiency, and ease of use. This success, however, has not fully translated into siRNA applications in vivo and in siRNA therapeutics where initial optimism has been dampened by a lack of efficient delivery strategies and reports of siRNA off-target effects and immunogenicity. Encouragingly, most aspects of siRNA behavior can be addressed by careful engineering of siRNAs incorporating beneficial chemical modifications into discrete nucleotide positions during siRNA synthesis. Here, we review the literature (Subheadings 1 –3) and provide a quick guide (Subheading 4) to how the performance of siRNA can be improved by chemical modification to suit specific applications in vitro and in vivo.

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  1. Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Interdisciplinary Nanoscience Center (iNANO), University of Aarhus, Aarhus, Denmark

    Jesper B. Bramsen & Jørgen Kjems

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Correspondence to Jesper B. Bramsen .

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  1. , Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina, West Drive 450, Chapel Hill, 27599, North Carolina, USA

    Debra J. Taxman

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Bramsen, J.B., Kjems, J. (2013). Engineering Small Interfering RNAs by Strategic Chemical Modification. In: Taxman, D. (eds) siRNA Design. Methods in Molecular Biology, vol 942. Humana Press, Totowa, NJ. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-62703-119-6_5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-62703-119-6_5

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