Tackling the Limitations of Copolymeric Small Interfering RNA Delivery Agents by a Combined Experimental–Computational Approach

Despite the first successful applications of nonviral delivery vectors for small interfering RNA in the treatment of illnesses, such as the respiratory syncytial virus infection, the preparation of a clinically suitable, safe, and efficient delivery system still remains a challenge. In this study, we tackle the drawbacks of the existing systems by a combined experimental-computational in-depth investigation of the influence of the polymer architecture over the binding and transfection efficiency. For that purpose, a library of diblock copolymers with a molar mass of 30 kDa and a narrow dispersity (Đ1.12) was synthesized. We studied in detail the impact of an altered block size and/or compos…