Therapeutic potential of siRNA and DNAzymes in cancer

Abstract

Cancer is characterized by uncontrolled cell growth, invasion, and metastasis and possess threat to humans worldwide. The scientific community is facing numerous challenges despite several efforts to cure cancer. Though a number of studies were done earlier, the molecular mechanism of cancer progression is not completely understood. Currently available treatments like surgery resection, adjuvant chemotherapy, and radiotherapy are not completely effective in curing all the cancers. Recent advances in the antisense technology provide a powerful tool to investigate various cancer pathways and target them. Small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) could be effective in downregulating the cancer-associated genes, but their in vivo delivery is the main obstacle. DNA enzymes (DNAzymes) have great potential in the treatment of cancer due to high selectivity and significant catalytic efficiency. In this review, we are focusing on antisense molecules such as siRNA and DNAzymes in cancer therapeutics development. This review also describes the challenges and approaches to overcome obstacles involved in using siRNA and DNAzymes in the treatment of cancers.