Unit 9 - Progress Report Draft

Group 81F has improved Wikipedia’s article on Stable Nucleic Acid Lipid Particles (SNALPs) in a number of ways. Firstly, the addition of a References section was made to categorize the listed references according to Wikipedia’s standards. Although references were placed previously at the bottom, lack of a designated section did not set them apart from other information included in the article. Additional organizational sections were created, too, including See Also, Further Reading, and External Links sections.

Secondly, figure one of J.J. Rossi’s article (ref: 1) was added to the introductory section to help readers understand and visualize the in vivo delivery system of siRNAs using SNALPs. However the addition of this figure got the attention of Fut.Perf. who stated that the image was in violation of Wikipedia’s “first non-free content criterion in that it illustrates a subject for which a freely licensed media item could be found or created that provides substantially the same information or which could be adequately covered with text alone.” Therefore, Group 81F has decided to sketch the structural components for which a SNALP is made using InkScape, an open sourced graphics editor. This image is intended to aid in the reader's visualization of the structural components for which a lipid nanoparticle is made.

A third improvement involves the addition of multiple links within the SNALPs article, such as a link to the RNAi pathway, siRNA, mRNA and RNA-induced silencing complex Wikipedia articles to provide the readers with a broader understanding of this particular topic. Other links include Toll-like receptors, polyethyleneglycol, fusogenic and cationic lipids.

In addition to the above improvements, substantive background information has been added describing generally use of siRNA in RNAi therapy and how SNALPs help to increase the efficacy of this therapy. Specifically, the components of SNALPs were detailed, which included the composition of the lipid bilayer and other constituents, such as PEG. Also, some detail as to how SNALPs increase stability of siRNA in vivo was provided.

Moving forward, we will be adding substantial content to the Applications section of the article, which will include research in increasing siRNA potency, increasing siRNA stability and reducing immune system response to siRNA therapy utilizing the SNALP delivery system. We will also be adding illustrations, as appropriate, in order to provide additional visuals for readers and otherwise make the article more appealing. Lastly, an outline will be included showing hallmarks with use of SNALPs in delivery of siRNA.