Gavin David Kenny1, Tammy Louise Kalber1,
Nazila Kamaly1,2, Leigh Pauline Brody1, Andrew David
Miller2, Jimmy David Bell1
1Metabolic and Molecular Imaging Group,
Imperial College, London, United Kingdom; 2Genetic Therapies
Centre, Imperial College, London, United Kingdom
Survivin
is a gene upregulated in the majority of cancers, but not expressed in normal
tissue and is therefore a possible target for tumour therapy. In this study
siRNA targeted to Survivin was encapsulated in to liposomes and the delivery
to the tumour monitored using MRI and corroborated by fluorescence
microscopy. The Survivin siRNA delivered by the liposomes significantly
reduced the growth rate of the tumours for at least 72 hours when compared to
a control siRNA and therefore could potentially be used as a cancer therapy.