Related Experiment Video
Updated: Dec 24, 2025
09:41
Formulating and Characterizing Lipid Nanoparticles for Gene Delivery using a Microfluidic Mixing Platform
Published on: February 25, 2021
24.7K
Nucleic acid-based drug delivery strategies
Summary
Nucleic acids are emerging as promising materials for drug delivery. Advances in DNA/RNA nanotechnology and aptamers enable precise targeting and controlled release, overcoming previous limitations.
Area of Science:
- Biotechnology
- Nanotechnology
- Molecular Biology
Background:
- Unmodified nucleic acids present challenges for drug delivery, including enzymatic instability, poor cell uptake, and potential immune responses.
- Traditional drug delivery systems often lack precise targeting and controlled release mechanisms.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review recent advancements in nucleic acid-based drug delivery strategies.
- To explore the potential, unique applications, and risks associated with nucleic acid drug delivery systems.
Main Methods:
- Discussion of DNA/RNA nanotechnology for engineered nanostructures.
- Exploration of multivalent nucleic acid nanostructures to modify biological properties.
- Review of nucleic acid aptamers for antibody-level targeting.
Main Results:
- Nucleic acid nanotechnology offers unparalleled structural control for nanocarriers.
- Multivalent structures can reverse undesirable biological properties of nucleic acids.
- Nucleic acid aptamers provide highly specific targeting capabilities.
Conclusions:
- Nucleic acid-based drug delivery systems show significant potential for spatiotemporally controlled drug release.
- Overcoming challenges like enzymatic instability and immunogenicity is crucial for clinical translation.
- Further research is needed to fully realize the therapeutic applications of nucleic acid drug delivery.
Related Concept Videos
01:16Drug Delivery: Overview
652
The selection of a drug's delivery route depends upon its physicochemical properties, including lipid or water solubility and ionization, as well as the therapeutic requirement, such as immediate or sustained effect. These routes can be divided into three primary categories: enteral, parenteral, and topical.
Enteral delivery involves administering drugs directly through swallowing, sublingual placement, or buccal application. Orally administered drugs predominantly navigate the...
Enteral delivery involves administering drugs directly through swallowing, sublingual placement, or buccal application. Orally administered drugs predominantly navigate the...
652
01:22Drug Delivery: Miscellaneous Routes
669
Drug delivery methods like oral inhalation, nasal sprays, transdermal patches, eye drops, intravitreal injection, and rectal administration provide localized effects with reduced toxicity.
Oral inhalation and nasal sprays swiftly transfer drugs across the respiratory epithelium's mucosal layer. Inhaled glucocorticoids and bronchodilators directly target lung conditions such as asthma, while fluticasone nasal spray mitigates allergic rhinitis.
Transdermal patches transport drugs...
Oral inhalation and nasal sprays swiftly transfer drugs across the respiratory epithelium's mucosal layer. Inhaled glucocorticoids and bronchodilators directly target lung conditions such as asthma, while fluticasone nasal spray mitigates allergic rhinitis.
Transdermal patches transport drugs...
669
01:29Drug Delivery: Parenteral Route
1.4K
The parenteral route is a critical method of drug administration. It delivers compounds directly into the systemic circulation and bypasses the gastrointestinal tract. This approach is particularly advantageous for drugs that exhibit poor absorption or instability when administered orally.
There are three primary parenteral routes: intravenous (IV), intramuscular (IM), and subcutaneous (SC). The IV route introduces the drug directly into the bloodstream, ensuring immediate action. The IM route...
There are three primary parenteral routes: intravenous (IV), intramuscular (IM), and subcutaneous (SC). The IV route introduces the drug directly into the bloodstream, ensuring immediate action. The IM route...
1.4K
01:18Drug Delivery: Enteral Route
1.4K
The enteral drug administration involves three primary routes: oral, sublingual, and buccal. Oral ingestion is the most prevalent, safe, economical, and convenient method for drug administration. However, it has certain drawbacks, including limited absorption due to the drug's low water solubility or poor membrane permeability, possible emesis from GI mucosa irritation, destruction of drugs by digestive enzymes or low gastric pH, and irregular absorption along with food or other drugs.
1.4K
01:23Mechanisms of Drug Absorption: Paracellular, Transcellular, and Vesicular Transport
1.4K
Drugs need to permeate cell membranes to reach their target sites after administration. Orally administered drugs must transcend intestinal epithelial membrane barriers to infiltrate the systemic circulation. Drugs with a molecular weight of less than 500 Daltons diffuse through gaps between neighboring cells, called paracellular pathways.
However, most drugs use the transcellular route, traversing directly through the cell membranes via two mechanisms: passive and active transport. Passive...
However, most drugs use the transcellular route, traversing directly through the cell membranes via two mechanisms: passive and active transport. Passive...
1.4K
01:25Nucleic Acid Structure
8.2K
The pentose sugar in DNA is deoxyribose, while in RNA the pentose sugar is ribose. The difference between the sugars is the presence of the hydroxyl group on the ribose's second carbon and a hydrogen on the deoxyribose's second carbon. The phosphate residue attaches to the hydroxyl group of the 5′ carbon of one sugar and the hydroxyl group of the 3′ carbon of the sugar of the next nucleotide, which forms a 5′ to 3′ phosphodiester linkage.
DNA Structure
DNA...
DNA Structure
DNA...
8.2K