| abstract |
The present invention relates to the delivery of polynucleotides and/or oligonucleotides using silica delivery platforms, e.g., silica carriers or protocells. In particular, in the present invention, polynucleotides in the form of plasmids expressing siRNA may be administered as cargo in the silica delivery platform to a patient or subject to inhibit and/or treat cancer in a patient. In one aspect, the silica delivery platform that have been charged with cargo comprising plasmid DNA (in particular, CRISPR ds plasmid DNA) which expresses siRNA, shRNA, mRNA and other RNA which may be used to administer these plasmids to patients in order to effect inhibition of cancer cells (especially including apoptosis of those cancer cells) and effective and/or prophylaxis of cancer, as well as numerous pathogens, including viruses, bacteria, fungi, and/or other disease states and/or conditions. In another aspect, the silica delivery platform comprises a biological package (e.g., plasmid nucleic acid, such as a for a CRISPR/Cas system) that interacts with a genomic sequence to either activate or inhibit gene expression. Such vehicles can be employed to control gene activation and repression in a host (e.g., a patient) and/or a pathogen. |