In 1998, Andrew Fire at Carnegie Institution for Science in Washington DC and Craig Mello at University of Massachusetts in Worcester discovered the RNAi mechanism while working on the gene expression in the nematode, Caenorhabditis elegans. They won the Nobel prize for their research with RNAi in 2006. siRNAs and their role in post-transcriptional gene silencing (PTGS) was discovered in plants by David Baulcombes group at the Sainsbury Laboratory in Norwich, England and reported in Science in 1999. Thomas Tuschl and colleagues soon reported in Nature' that synthetic siRNAs could induce RNAi in mammalian cells. In 2001, the expression of a specific gene was successfully silenced by introducing chemically synthesized siRNA into mammalian cells (Tuschl et al.) These discoveries led to a surge in interest in harnessing RNAi for biomedical research and drug development. Significant developments in siRNA therapies have been made with both organic (carbon based) and inorganic (non-carbon based) nanoparticles, which have been successful in drug delivery to the brain, offering promising methods to deliver therapeutics into human subjects. However, human applications of siRNA have had significant limitations to its success. One of these being off-targeting. There is also a possibility that these therapies can trigger innate immunity. Animal models have not been successful in accurately representing the extent of this response in humans. Hence, studying the effects of siRNA therapies has been a challenge.  
In recent years, siRNA therapies have been approved and new methods have been established to overcome these challenges. There are approved therapies available for commercial use and several currently in the pipeline waiting to get approval.