Oligonucleotide delivery in cancer therapy

Importance of the field: Cancer is frequently caused by altered protein expression. Oligonucleotides (ONs) are short synthetic nucleic acid fragments, able to selectively correct protein expression into cells by different mechanisms. However, biological barriers hamper the therapeutic use of ONs without suitable delivery strategies. Areas covered in this review: This review summarizes the most meaningful non-viral strategies for ON delivery, including the chemical modifications of the ON backbone and non-viral delivery systems. What the reader will gain: The reader will gain an update of the main strategies for ON delivery in cancer. Advantages and limits of each approach are underlined. Emphasis is given to the delivery strategies that contributed to bringing ONs into clinical trials. Take home message: In the long story of ONs for cancer therapy, the development of delivery strategies has led, in the last few years, to different opportunities to use the high therapeutic potential of these molecules in humans.