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Polymer nanocarriers for MicroRNA delivery

Chintan H Kapadia1, Benjamin Luo1, Megan N Dang1

  • 1Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware 19716.

Journal of Applied Polymer Science
|January 1, 2021
PubMed

Insights

Polymer nanocarriers offer a solution for delivering microRNA (miRNA) mimics, addressing challenges like degradation and cell entry. This approach holds promise for therapeutic applications in various diseases.

Area of Science:

  • Biotechnology
  • Molecular Biology
  • Nanomedicine

Background:

  • MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are crucial noncoding RNAs regulating gene expression and cellular functions.
  • Aberrant miRNA expression is linked to numerous diseases, necessitating therapeutic intervention.
  • Current miRNA-based therapies face challenges due to nucleic acid instability and poor cellular uptake.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the challenges in delivering miRNA mimics for therapeutic applications.
  • To explore the design and implementation of polymer nanocarriers for miRNA delivery.
  • To summarize preclinical advancements and discuss future clinical translation of these nanocarriers.

Main Methods:

  • Review of existing literature on miRNA delivery systems.
  • Analysis of polymer nanocarrier designs for miRNA mimic encapsulation and delivery.
  • Summary of preclinical studies evaluating the efficacy and safety of nanocarrier-mediated miRNA delivery.

Main Results:

  • Polymer nanocarriers effectively protect miRNA mimics from degradation and facilitate cellular internalization.
  • Preclinical studies demonstrate the potential of these nanocarriers in modulating miRNA expression for disease treatment.
  • Various polymer-based systems show promise in overcoming the pharmacokinetic and delivery limitations of bare nucleic acids.

Conclusions:

  • Polymer nanocarriers represent a viable strategy to overcome critical delivery barriers for miRNA mimics.
  • This technology has significant potential for clinical translation in treating diseases associated with imbalanced miRNA expression.
  • Further research and development are essential to advance polymer nanomaterials as effective miRNA therapeutics.

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