How Do Organelle-Targeting Nanotherapeutics Treat Inflammatory Diseases? A Comprehensive Review of the Literature

Abstract

Inflammation is a protective response of the body, but when excessive or prolonged, it can contribute to disease progression and tissue damage. Identifying more effective and less toxic drugs for treating both acute and chronic inflammatory diseases is a major challenge. Organelle-targeting strategies, which deliver drugs directly to specific organelles, offer a promising solution by improving treatment efficiency and minimizing toxic effects on healthy cells. However, despite the potential of organelles as therapeutic targets, precise targeting remains challenging. This review systematically summarizes organelle-targeting nanodelivery strategies for major organelles—mitochondria, the endoplasmic reticulum, lysosomes, and the Golgi apparatus—and the research progress in evaluating the potential of these strategies for treating inflammation-related diseases. This study focuses on the applications of these strategies for the treatment of sepsis, inflammatory bowel disease, atherosclerosis, and osteoarthritis. Additionally, this review outlines future directions and key challenges in this field, aiming to provide a scientific reference for the application of organelle-targeting nanotherapeutics for the treatment of inflammatory diseases.