TY - JOUR
T1 - RNA nanostructures for targeted drug delivery and imaging
AU - Teodori, Laura
AU - Omer, Marjan
AU - Kjems, Jørgen
PY - 2024/3/31
Y1 - 2024/3/31
N2 - The RNA molecule plays a pivotal role in many biological processes by relaying genetic information, regulating gene expression, and serving as molecular machines and catalyzers. This inherent versatility of RNA has fueled significant advancements in the field of RNA nanotechnology, driving the engineering of complex nanoscale architectures toward biomedical applications, including targeted drug delivery and bioimaging. RNA polymers, serving as building blocks, offer programmability and predictability of Watson-Crick base pairing, as well as non-canonical base pairing, for the construction of nanostructures with high precision and stoichiometry. Leveraging the ease of chemical modifications to protect the RNA from degradation, researchers have developed highly functional and biocompatible RNA architectures and integrated them into preclinical studies for the delivery of payloads and imaging agents. This review offers an educational introduction to the use of RNA as a biopolymer in the design of multifunctional nanostructures applied to targeted delivery in vivo, summarizing physical and biological barriers along with strategies to overcome them. Furthermore, we highlight the most recent progress in the development of both small and larger RNA nanostructures, with a particular focus on imaging reagents and targeted cancer therapeutics in pre-clinical models and provide insights into the prospects of this rapidly evolving field.
AB - The RNA molecule plays a pivotal role in many biological processes by relaying genetic information, regulating gene expression, and serving as molecular machines and catalyzers. This inherent versatility of RNA has fueled significant advancements in the field of RNA nanotechnology, driving the engineering of complex nanoscale architectures toward biomedical applications, including targeted drug delivery and bioimaging. RNA polymers, serving as building blocks, offer programmability and predictability of Watson-Crick base pairing, as well as non-canonical base pairing, for the construction of nanostructures with high precision and stoichiometry. Leveraging the ease of chemical modifications to protect the RNA from degradation, researchers have developed highly functional and biocompatible RNA architectures and integrated them into preclinical studies for the delivery of payloads and imaging agents. This review offers an educational introduction to the use of RNA as a biopolymer in the design of multifunctional nanostructures applied to targeted delivery in vivo, summarizing physical and biological barriers along with strategies to overcome them. Furthermore, we highlight the most recent progress in the development of both small and larger RNA nanostructures, with a particular focus on imaging reagents and targeted cancer therapeutics in pre-clinical models and provide insights into the prospects of this rapidly evolving field.
KW - DNA/chemistry
KW - Humans
KW - Nanostructures/chemistry
KW - Nanotechnology/methods
KW - Neoplasms/diagnostic imaging
KW - RNA/genetics
KW - RNA nanostructures
KW - targeted drug delivery
KW - tumour targeting
KW - RNA therapeutics
KW - bioconjugation
KW - personalized nanomedicine
KW - bioimaging
KW - cancer
KW - aptamers
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85189142448&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1080/15476286.2024.2328440
DO - 10.1080/15476286.2024.2328440
M3 - Review
C2 - 38555519
SN - 1547-6286
VL - 21
SP - 1
EP - 19
JO - RNA Biology
JF - RNA Biology
IS - 1
ER -