Antibody-siRNA conjugates: drugging the undruggable for anti-leukemic therapy

Generating effective RNAi-based therapies with the potential to achieve leukemia remission remains critical unmet need. Despite a growing number of leukemia clinical trials, tissue specific delivery of therapeutic siRNA is a major roadblock in translating its clinical potential. The most recent reports in the antibody-siRNA-conjugates (ARCs) field add new dimensions to leukemic therapy, where a covalently ligated therapeutic antisense-RNA with the potential to repress the oncogenic transcript is selectively delivered into the cancer cells. Despite ARC localization to leukemic cells due to high affinity antigen-antibody interactions, multiple challenges exist to unlock the therapeutic potential of siRNA targeting. Areas covered: This review focuses on antibody and siRNA-based therapies for leukemia as well as potential antibody engineering-based strategies to generate an optimal ARC platform. Expert opinion: In vitro and clinical results have revealed that non-targeted delivery and inefficient cellular internalization of therapeutic siRNA are major contributing factors for the lack of efficacy in leukemia patients. Rational antibody design and selective protein engineering with the potential to neutralize siRNA charge, stabilize ARC complex, restrict off-targeted delivery, optimize endosomal escape, and extend serum half-life will generate clinically relevant leukemic therapies that are safe, selective, and effective.