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Updated: Jul 15, 2026
11:18
Direct Drug Delivery to Kidney via the Renal Artery
Published on: April 17, 2021
Precision Nanomedicine for Renal Tubular Injury: From Passive Accumulation to Subcellular Targeting
Yaotong Shi1, Yuan Lu1, Yan Zhou1
1Nephrology Department, Zhongda Hospital, School of Medicine, Southeast University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China.
International Journal of Nanomedicine
|July 14, 2026
Summary
This review explores advanced renal nanotherapeutics for kidney diseases, moving beyond passive accumulation to targeted delivery. Future strategies integrate AI and DNA barcoding for precise, subcellular interventions, especially targeting mitochondria.
Area of Science:
- Biomedical Engineering
- Nanomedicine
- Renal Pathology
Background:
- Renal tubular epithelial cell injury is key in kidney diseases, but current nanomedicines lack targeting specificity.
- Passive accumulation of nanomedicines limits their efficacy in treating complex tubular pathologies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the evolution of renal nanotherapeutics from non-specific to targeted delivery systems.
- To highlight strategies for active targeting and subcellular delivery, focusing on mitochondria.
Main Methods:
- Examination of ligand-directed and stimuli-responsive nanocarriers.
- Discussion of biomimetic platforms like engineered extracellular vesicles.
- Analysis of hierarchical delivery strategies for subcellular targeting.
Main Results:
- Nanotherapeutics are advancing towards biologically informed targeting using surface receptors and microenvironmental signals.
- Biomimetic and stimuli-responsive platforms offer improved specificity.
- Subcellular targeting, particularly to mitochondria, is crucial for restoring cellular function.
Conclusions:
- Precision nanomedicine requires overcoming passive accumulation through active targeting and subcellular delivery.
- Engineered nanocarriers and biomimetic platforms show promise for treating kidney diseases.
- Integrating DNA barcoding and AI can accelerate the development of clinically translatable renal nanotherapeutics.
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