Next-Generation Polymeric mRNA Nanocarriers: From Chemical Engineering to Organ-Selective Gene Delivery

Area of Science:

• Biotechnology
• Nanotechnology
• Polymer Science

Background:

• Messenger RNA (mRNA) therapeutics show promise in diverse applications like vaccines and cancer treatment.
• Key challenges include poor mRNA stability, immunogenicity, and inefficient targeted delivery.
• Polymeric carriers are emerging as a promising strategy to address these limitations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the biomedical applications of mRNA therapy.
• To highlight advancements in polymeric carriers for mRNA delivery.
• To discuss strategies for non-liver-targeted mRNA delivery and future challenges.

Main Methods:

• Review of recent literature on mRNA therapeutics and polymeric delivery systems.
• Analysis of chemical structure diversity and rational design principles for polymeric carriers.
• Summary of non-liver-targeted delivery strategies and associated challenges.

Main Results:

• Polymeric carriers demonstrate advantages over lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) in mRNA stability, immunogenicity mitigation, and extrahepatic delivery.
• Diverse polymeric structures enable tunable properties for optimized mRNA delivery.
• Progress has been made in developing non-liver-targeted delivery approaches using these carriers.

Conclusions:

• Polymeric carriers are crucial for overcoming translational hurdles in mRNA therapeutics.
• Rational design and advanced synthesis are key to unlocking the full potential of mRNA delivery systems.
• Further development is needed for widespread application in precision medicine.