Evidence map›Paper›PMID 32672813›Full record

ArticleNucleic acids research2020

The chemical structure and phosphorothioate content of hydrophobically modified siRNAs impact extrahepatic distribution and efficacy.

Annabelle Biscans, Jillian Caiazzi, Sarah Davis, Nicholas McHugh, Jacquelyn Sousa, Anastasia Khvorova

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Nucleic acids research, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 53 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
53citing papers in PubMed
2.4field-weighted citation impact, top 10% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

53 citing papers in PubMed, 75 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Review
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  5. Article
  6. Synthetic short RNA in cancer.Frontiers in oncology · 2026
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  12. RNAi-mediated silencing of SOD1 profoundly extends survival and functional outcomes in ALS mice.Molecular therapy : the journal of the American Society of Gene Therapy · 2025
    Article
  13. Article
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  15. Article
  16. Review
  17. Review
  18. Article
  19. Review
  20. Chemical Modifications in Nucleic Acid Therapeutics.Methods in molecular biology (Clifton, N.J.) · 2025
    Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.

Annabelle BiscansRNA Therapeutics Institute, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA 01604, USA.
Jillian CaiazziRNA Therapeutics Institute, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA 01604, USA.
Sarah DavisRNA Therapeutics Institute, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA 01604, USA.
Nicholas McHughRNA Therapeutics Institute, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA 01604, USA.
Jacquelyn SousaRNA Therapeutics Institute, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA 01604, USA.
Anastasia KhvorovaRNA Therapeutics Institute, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA 01604, USA.
University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School · US

Funding

Development of RNAi based sFLT1-targeting therapeutics for treatment of PreeclampsiaR01HD086111 · NICHD · UNIV OF MASSACHUSETTS MED SCH WORCESTER · PI KHVOROVA, ANASTASIA · 2016 to 2020
$3.4M
Chemical engineering of therapeutic RNAs for extrahepatic deliveryR35GM131839 · NIGMS · UNIV OF MASSACHUSETTS MED SCH WORCESTER · PI ANASTASIA KHVOROVA · 2019 to 2026
$3.1M
Mid-Scale RNA Synthesis, Purification and Quality Control SystemS10OD020012 · OD · UNIV OF MASSACHUSETTS MED SCH WORCESTER · PI KHVOROVA, ANASTASIA · 2015 to 2015
$563k
NICHD NIH HHS R01 HD086111NIGMS NIH HHS R35 GM131839NIH HHS S10 OD020012
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) have revolutionized the treatment of liver diseases. However, robust siRNA delivery to other tissues represents a major technological need. Conjugating lipids (e.g. docosanoic acid, DCA) to siRNA supports extrahepatic delivery, but tissue accumulation and gene silencing efficacy are lower than that achieved in liver by clinical-stage compounds. The chemical structure of conjugated siRNA may significantly impact invivo efficacy, particularly in tissues with lower compound accumulation. Here, we report the first systematic evaluation of the impact of siRNA scaffold-i.e. structure, phosphorothioate (PS) content, linker composition-on DCA-conjugated siRNA delivery and efficacy in vivo. We found that structural asymmetry (e.g. 5- or 2-nt overhang) has no impact on accumulation, but is a principal factor for enhancing activity in extrahepatic tissues. Similarly, linker chemistry (cleavable versus stable) altered activity, but not accumulation. In contrast, increasing PS content enhanced accumulation of asymmetric compounds, but negatively impacted efficacy. Our findings suggest that siRNA tissue accumulation does not fully define efficacy, and that the impact of siRNA chemical structure on activity is driven by intracellular re-distribution and endosomal escape. Fine-tuning siRNA chemical structure for optimal extrahepatic efficacy is a critical next step for the progression of therapeutic RNAi applications beyond liver.

Indexed as

AnimalsFemaleHydrophobic and Hydrophilic InteractionsMicePhosphorothioate OligonucleotidesRNA InterferenceRNA, Small InterferingTissue DistributionPhosphorothioate OligonucleotidesRNA, Small Interfering

Identifiers

PMID32672813
PMCPMC7430635
OpenAlexW3042395889

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.