About this Research Topic

Background

Nucleic acids including deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) and ribonucleic acid (RNA) have emerged as therapeutics, targeting molecules, and drug carriers, which demonstrated the potential to treat diseases. For example, aptamer, one kind of nucleic acid, has been demonstrated as targeting molecules for drug delivery, some aptamers can also exhibit therapeutic effects. Aptamer-drug conjugates (ApDCs) have been developed for targeted disease treatment. Aptamer can also be modified on various drug carriers for targeted drug delivery. In particular, nucleic acids can serve as therapeutic agents, such as antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs), or RNA interference (RNAi), (e.g., small interference RNA (siRNA) and microRNA(miRNA)).



Nucleic acid has also been used as a carrier to construct nanostructures for drug delivery owing to its predictability and programmability. Some DNA nanostructures can perform the structural transformation in response to stimuli. A wave of designing and usage of DNA nanostructures as drug carriers to perform complex tasks, such as targeted delivery drugs, and trigger the release of drugs in response to stimuli has occurred.



Safe and effective delivery of nucleic acid therapeutics into the diseased tissues and cells to perform efficient therapeutic effects has become increasingly attractive. However, the current problem in the limited applications of these nucleic acid delivery platforms is mainly due to the lack of systematic studies and evolutionary development of advanced delivery vesicles, especially, sophisticated and effective delivery platforms. To achieve better development and exploration of the nucleic acid-based drug delivery systems, especially in the novel construction strategies, targeting mechanisms, drug release system, in vivo transport approaches, and disease therapeutic effects, etc. Herein, we call for papers regarding the current landscape of nucleic acid-based drug delivery systems.



Papers providing the following aspects are welcome:

• Studies on various nucleic acid-based drug delivery systems.

• The construction strategies to develop these drug delivery systems.

• The targeting mechanisms of these drug delivery systems.

• The drug release behaviors of these drug delivery systems.

• The stimuli drug release responsive mechanisms of these drug delivery systems.

• The transmembrane transport and in vivo transport pass way of these drug delivery systems.

• The disease therapeutic effects of these drug delivery systems.

• The rationale and key technological aspects to improve their therapeutic efficacy

• The technologies facilitated their clinical translation.

Keywords: Nucleic acid; Aptamer; DNA nanostructure; Drug delivery platform; Targeted drug release

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