Small interfering RNA (siRNA) therapeutics have emerged as a transformative approach for sequence-specific gene silencing, offering the potential to treat a broad spectrum of diseases by selectively suppressing disease-associated genes. However, the clinical translation of siRNA remains limited by rapid enzymatic degradation, poor cellular uptake, inadequate endosomal escape, and off-target effects, necessitating the development of efficient delivery systems. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) have gained considerable attention as natural nanocarriers owing to their excellent biocompatibility, low immunogenicity, intrinsic targeting capability, and ability to protect therapeutic cargo while traversing complex biological barriers. This review comprehensively discusses the biological characteristics of EVs, the molecular basis of RNA interference, and the major challenges associated with siRNA delivery [Fig. 1]. Recent advances in EV engineering, including cargo-loading strategies such as electroporation, sonication, extrusion, parent-cell engineering, and microfluidic approaches, together with surface functionalization using peptides, antibodies, aptamers, and hybrid nanoplatforms, are critically evaluated for improving targeting specificity and intracellular delivery. Furthermore, the therapeutic applications of engineered EV-mediated siRNA delivery in cancer, neurological disorders, liver diseases, cardiovascular diseases, inflammatory disorders, and infectious diseases are systematically summarized, highlighting their potential to enhance gene silencing while minimizing systemic toxicity. Current challenges related to large-scale manufacturing, cargo-loading efficiency, standardization, quality control, regulatory approval, and clinical translation are also discussed, together with emerging technologies involving synthetic biology, genome engineering, artificial intelligence, and multifunctional hybrid vesicles. Overall, engineered extracellular vesicles represent a highly versatile and biologically inspired platform for targeted siRNA delivery, providing a promising foundation for the development of next-generation precision RNA therapeutics and accelerating the clinical translation of gene-silencing strategies.
G. S. Amrish Varshan, S. Namasivayam· Nanomedicine: Nanotechnology...· 0 citations
The aim of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of a raw organic composite, made from flower waste, in promoting plant growth and enhancing soil fertility. The flower‐based amendment was prepared by thermally treating (55°C) dried flower wastes from
Rosa indica
,
Chrysanthemum morifolium
, and
Jasminum auriculatum. Physicochemical
parameters were also measured. The presence of bioactive compounds in the flower‐based amendment was confirmed through gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS). Its efficacy in promoting seed germination and plant growth was tested using
Arachis hypogaea
L., with assessments of seedling emergence, shoot length, total foliage, chlorophyll content, and groundnut yield in pot assays. In addition, the potential non‐target toxicity of the flower‐based amendment was evaluated through in silico analysis, examining its effects on host plant growth, soil‐beneficial microbes, insect pests, and fungal pathogens. The treatment significantly improved key nutritional parameters and induced notable changes in the physicochemical properties of the flower‐based amendment. It resulted in substantial improvements in seedling emergence (99%), and plant growth, and yield under controlled pot conditions. The flower‐based amendment also enhanced soil nutritional quality, increasing the levels of major nutrients, including total nitrogen (81.74 mg/kg), phosphorus (78.04 mg/kg), and potassium (297 mg/kg). Notably, the docking analysis indicated that
1,3‐Dioxolane, 4‐ethyl‐5‐octyl‐2,2‐bis(trifluoromethyl)‐
showed a high binding affinity (−9.9 ± 0.59 Kcal/mol) against the
Helicoverpa armigera
protein. Molecular docking further predicted potential interactions of the bioactive compounds with selected target proteins while indicating no significant inhibitory interaction with the selected soil‐beneficial microorganism target protein. These findings demonstrate the potential of the flower‐based amendment to promote plant growth under controlled pot conditions and provide preliminary computational evidence of potential inhibitory activity against selected pests and pathogens. Further biological validation through in vitro, in vivo, and field studies is required to confirm these predicted activities before practical agricultural application.
S. Priyanka, S. Namasivayam· Flavour and Fragrance Journa...· 0 citations
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