Nucleic Acid–Gold Nanoparticle Conjugates as Mimics of microRNA

Abstract

Novel conjugates of gold nanoparticles functionalized with synthetic microRNAs can enter cells without the aid of cationic co-carriers and mimic the function of endogenous microRNAs. These conjugates can regulate multiple proteins through interactions with the 3′ untranslated region of the target messenger RNA and control cell behavior. The conjugates are promising new tools for studying microRNA function and are candidates for microRNA replacement therapies. Detailed facts of importance to specialist readers are published as ”Supporting Information”. Such documents are peer-reviewed, but not copy-edited or typeset. They are made available as submitted by the authors. Please note: The publisher is not responsible for the content or functionality of any supporting information supplied by the authors. Any queries (other than missing content) should be directed to the corresponding author for the article.