Nanocarrier-Mediated RNA Delivery Platform as a Frontier Strategy for Hepatic Disease Treatment: Challenges and Opportunities

Abstract

Hepatic diseases cause serious public health problems worldwide, and there is an urgent need to develop effective therapeutic agents. In recent years, significant progress is made in RNA therapy, and RNA molecules, such as mRNAs, siRNAs, miRNAs, and RNA aptamers, are shown to provide significant advantages in the treatment of hepatic diseases. However, the drawbacks of RNAs, such as their poor biological stability, easy degradation by nucleases in vivo, low bioavailability, and low concentrations in target tissues, significantly limit the clinical application of RNA-based drugs. Therefore, exploring and developing effective nanoscale delivery platforms for RNA therapeutics are of immense value. This review focuses on the different types of hepatic diseases and RNA therapeutics, summarizing various nanoscale delivery platforms and their strengths and weaknesses. Finally, the current status and future prospects of nanoscale delivery systems for RNA therapy are discussed.