Delivering Drugs to Tubular Cells and Organelles: The Application of Nanodrugs in Acute Kidney Injury

Abstract

Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a common clinical syndrome with limited treatment options and high mortality rates. Proximal tubular epithelial cells (PTECs) play a key role in AKI progression. Subcellular dysfunctions, including mitochondrial, nuclear, endoplasmic reticulum and lysosomal dysfunctions, are extensively studied in PTECs. These studies have led to the development of potential therapeutic drugs. However, clinical development of those drugs faces challenges such as low solubility, short circulation time and severe systemic side effects. Nanotechnology provides a promising solution by improving drug properties through nanocrystallization and enabling targeted delivery to specific sites. This review summarizes advancements and limitations of nanoparticle-based drug-delivery systems in targeting PTECs and subcellular organelles, particularly mitochondria, for AKI treatment.

Graphical abstract

Keywords::

• acute kidney injury
• mitochondrial
• nanoparticle-based drug-delivery system
• proximal tubular epithelial cells
• subcellular organelles

Supplementary data

To view the supplementary data that accompany this paper please visit the journal website at: www.tandfonline.com/doi/suppl/10.2217/nnm-2023-0200

Author contributions

Z Li: conceptualization, investigation, writing (original draft). X Fan: resources, writing (original draft). J Fan: writing (original draft). W Zhang: writing (original draft). J Liu: writing (original draft). B Liu: writing (review and editing), supervision, project administration. H Zhang: conceptualization, writing (review and editing), supervision, project administration, funding acquisition.

Financial disclosure

This work was supported in part by the Scientific Research Project of Health Commission, Hunan Province (no. D202303057869). The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed. This includes employment, consultancies, honoraria, stock ownership or options, expert testimony, grants or patents received or pending, or royalties.

Writing disclosure

No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported in part by the Scientific Research Project of Health Commission, Hunan Province (no. D202303057869). The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed. This includes employment, consultancies, honoraria, stock ownership or options, expert testimony, grants or patents received or pending, or royalties.