Nanoparticle-Mediated Gene Therapy in Women's Health: Progress, Delivery Challenges, and the Need for Sex, Age, and...

Gene therapy mediated by nucleic acids (siRNA, mRNA, and DNA) has the potential to revolutionize the treatment of diseases resulting from genetic mutations and aberrant protein expression. In fact, FDA-approved therapeutics that modulate gene expression have reached curative solutions for fatal or disability causing diseases. For severely understudied and underfunded female specific diseases, nanoparticle (NP) mediated gene therapies have yet to make a significant impact. This is likely due to the lack of inclusion of intersectional variables within biomedical science, nanomedicine, and gene therapy such as sex, age, ancestry, and socioeconomic factors. In this article, we review approved gene therapies and current preclinical gene therapy studies with an emphasis on nanoparticle mediated gene therapy in women's health. Additionally, we discuss physiological differences based on sex, age, and ancestry that impact the design and efficacy of NP gene therapy platforms. Finally, we highlight measures that can be taken to address biases in research to ensure that as the field of NP mediated gene therapy grows, equitable health solutions for all are realized.