A novel polyethyleneimine-decorated FeOOH nanoparticle for efficient siRNA delivery

Despite the promising prospect of small interfering RNA (siRNA) for the treatment of diverse diseases, it remains challenging to develop novel delivery materials to desired tissues and cells. In this study, a novel iron oxyhydroxide (FeOOH) nanoparticle (NP) whose surface was modified with branched polyetherimide (PEI) was developed to deliver siRNA into the cancer cells. It was demonstrated that PEI-FeOOH (PFeOOH) efficiently complexed siRNA, mediated effective cellular uptake and endosomal escape, thereby triggering robust gene silencing in vitro. In addition, PFeOOH/siRNA formulation loading with anti-RRM2 siRNA effectively inhibited the growth of tumor tissues, and exhibited excellent safety profiles in vivo. Therefore, this study conceptually provided a FeOOH-based nucleic acid delivery vesicle which can potentially use to achieve diagnosis and therapy simultaneously.