Green Tea Catechin Dramatically Promotes RNAi Mediated by Low-Molecular-Weight Polymers

Cytosolic delivery is the major challenge that limits the clinical translation of siRNA-based therapeutics. Although thousands of polymers have been developed for siRNA delivery, the efficiency–toxicity correlation is unsatisfactory. Here, we report a facile strategy to fabricate core–shell-structured nanoparticles with robust siRNA delivery efficiency. The nanoparticle is prepared by entropy-driven complexation of siRNA with a green tea catechin to yield a negatively charged core, followed by coating low-molecular-weight polymers to form the shell. This supramolecular strategy facilitates the polymers condensing siRNA into uniform nanoparticles. The nanoparticle specifically down-regulates target genes in vitro and in vivo, and efficiently attenuates chronic intestinal inflammation in an inflammatory bowel disease model. Notably, the highly efficient nanoparticles are applicable for various polymers with different topologies and chemical compositions, providing a versatile technique to break down the efficiency–toxicity correlation of cationic polymers. The proposed strategy in this study permits the development of a promising platform for polymer-mediated siRNA delivery.