RNA interference via sustained delivery of siRNA from electrospun fibrous scaffolds

This project embarked with the following specific aims: Synthesize and characterize electrospun scaffolds that are functionalized through the encapsulation of siRNA. a. Establish a robust system to incorporate and release siRNA in a sustained manner from poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) scaffolds made up of aligned and/ or randomly-oriented micro- and nano-fibers using electrospinning. b. Characterize the distribution; in vitro release kinetics; and bioactivity of the incorporated siRNA. c. Characterize the physical properties of electrospun scaffolds, such as scaffold morphology, and fiber diameter with respect to the inclusion of siRNA. d. Characterize the transfection efficiency of siRNA-encapsulated electrospun scaffolds with respect to the architecture of the scaffolds (scaffolds with aligned fibers vs. randomly-oriented fibers).RG 121/0