Issue 24, 2020

Trigger-responsive engineered-nanocarriers and image-guided theranostics for rheumatoid arthritis

Abstract

Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA), one of the leading causes of disability due to progressive autoimmune destruction of synovial joints, affects ∼1% of the global population. Standard therapy helps in reducing inflammation and delaying the progression of RA but is limited by non-responsiveness on long-term use and several side-effects. The conventional nanocarriers (CNCs), to some extent, minimize toxicity associated with free drug administration while improving the therapeutic efficacy. However, the uncontrolled release of the encapsulated drug even at off-targeted organs limits the application of CNCs. To overcome these challenges, trigger-responsive engineered nanocarriers (ENCs) have been recently explored for RA treatment. Unlike CNCs, ENCs enable precise control over on-demand drug release due to endogenous triggers in arthritic paws like pH, enzyme level, oxidative stress, or exogenously applied triggers like near-infrared light, magnetic field, ultrasonic waves, etc. As the trigger is selectively applied to the inflamed joint, it potentially reduces toxicity at off-target locations. Moreover, ENCs have been strategically coupled with imaging probe(s) for simultaneous monitoring of ENCs inside the body and facilitate an ‘image-guided-co-trigger’ for site-specific action in arthritic paws. In this review, the progress made in recently emerging ‘trigger-responsive’ and ‘image-guided theranostics’ ENCs for RA treatment has been explored with emphasis on the design strategies, mechanism, current status, challenges, and translational perspectives.

Graphical abstract: Trigger-responsive engineered-nanocarriers and image-guided theranostics for rheumatoid arthritis

Article information

Article type
Review Article
Submitted
26 Feb 2020
Accepted
13 May 2020
First published
18 May 2020

Nanoscale, 2020,12, 12673-12697

Trigger-responsive engineered-nanocarriers and image-guided theranostics for rheumatoid arthritis

N. Ahamad, A. Prabhakar, S. Mehta, E. Singh, E. Bhatia, S. Sharma and R. Banerjee, Nanoscale, 2020, 12, 12673 DOI: 10.1039/D0NR01648A

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