The role of carrier size in the pharmacodynamics of antisense and siRNA oligonucleotides.

Effective therapeutic utilization of antisense and siRNA oligonucleotides represents a major challenge to drug delivery science. Although many strategies and technologies have been applied to oligonucleotide delivery, a key issue remains the role of molecular or carrier size. In this brief review, we address some of the size-related parameters that regulate the biodistribution of oligonucleotides. We also reprise several recent studies that have examined the inter-relationship of size and shape in influencing delivery.