A Light-Triggerable Formulation To Control The Stability Of Pro-Angiogenic Transcription Factor Hypoxia Inducible Factor-1 Alpha (Hif-1 Alpha)

The control of vascular remodeling mediated by transcription factor HIF-1 alpha is critical in the treatment of several diseases including cancer, retinopathies, chronic wounds, and ischemic heart disease, among others. Gene silencing using a small interfering RNA (siRNA) is a promising therapeutic strategy to regulate HIF-1 alpha; however, the delivery systems developed so far have limited endothelial targeting and efficiency. Herein, we have synthesized a light-triggerable polymeric nanoparticle (NP) library composed of 110 formulations which showed variable morphology, charge and disassembly rates after UV exposure. More than 35% of the formulations of the library were more efficient in gene knockdown than the siRNA delivered by a commercial transfection agent (lipofectamine RNAiMAX). The most efficient siRNA delivery formulations were tested against different cell types to identify one with preferential targeting to endothelial cells. Using a two-step methodology, we have identified a formulation that shows exquisite targeting to endothelial cells and is able to deliver more efficiently the siRNA that modulates HIF-1 alpha than commercial transfection agents. Overall, the strategy reported here increases the specificity for tissue regulation and the efficiency for the intracellular delivery of siRNAs.