Polymeric Carriers for Nucleic Acid Delivery: Current Designs and Future Directions

Area of Science:

• Biotechnology
• Materials Science
• Nanomedicine

Background:

• Therapeutic nucleic acids have emerged as a significant class of drugs over the past 20 years.
• Their diverse biophysical properties and biological targets present unique challenges for effective delivery systems.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review recent advancements in tailor-made polymeric carriers designed for specific therapeutic nucleic acid cargos.
• To discuss the distinct delivery requirements for various nucleic acid types.

Main Methods:

• Review of literature on polymeric carrier designs for nucleic acid delivery.
• Analysis of carrier properties in relation to cargo types (plasmid DNA, siRNA, miRNA, mRNA, genome-modifying nucleic acids).

Main Results:

• Numerous polymeric carrier designs have been optimized for different nucleic acid cargos.
• Specific design strategies are required to meet the unique needs of each therapeutic nucleic acid type.

Conclusions:

• Future research directions involve dynamic bioresponsive polymers and multifunctional carriers.
• Organic-inorganic nanoassemblies represent a promising area for advanced nucleic acid delivery systems.