Co-delivery of siRNA and lycopene encapsulated hybrid lipid nanoparticles for dual silencing of insulin-like growth factor 1 receptor in MCF-7 breast cancer cell line

Detailed Discussion & Nanotech Implementation

This study investigated whether combining a chemopreventive compound with gene-silencing therapy could improve on either approach alone. Lycopene, a carotenoid with reported antiproliferative activity, was co-delivered alongside siRNA targeting IGF-1R (insulin-like growth factor 1 receptor) using a hybrid lipid nanoparticle platform. IGF-1R signaling is implicated in MCF-7 breast cancer cell proliferation, and the hybrid lipid carrier was designed to protect the siRNA payload and support co-delivery of both agents into the same cell population. This work formed part of the researcher’s PhD dissertation on hybrid nanoparticle carriers for IGF-1R gene silencing.