RNA nanomedicine in liver diseases

Abstract

The remarkable impact of RNA nanomedicine during the COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated the expansive therapeutic potential of this field in diverse disease contexts. In recent years, RNA nanomedicine targeting the liver has been paradigm-shifting in the management of metabolic diseases such as hyperoxaluria and amyloidosis. RNA nanomedicine has significant potential in the management of liver diseases, where optimal management would benefit from targeted delivery, doses titrated to liver metabolism, and personalized therapy based on the specific site of interest. In this review, we discuss in-depth the different types of RNA and nanocarriers used for liver targeting along with their specific applications in metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease, liver fibrosis, and liver cancers. We further highlight the strategies for cell specific delivery and future perspectives in this field of research with the emergence of small activating RNA, circular RNA and RNA base editing approaches.