Nanotherapeutic Approaches for the Treatment of Rheumatoid Arthritis

Abstract

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) has been known as an autoimmune disease that affects the joint tissues leading to the development of stern inflammatory microenvironments. Patients suffering from RA are often recommended to take disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs known as DMARDs by health-care professionals. But, utilizing DMARDs for a prolonged time has been found to cause toxicity in several organs of the patient including the gastrointestinal tract, skin and kidneys. Along with affecting these organs, prolonged usage of these drugs also leads to immunosuppression that causes varied infections. In recent years, nanomedicine has emerged as one of the most potent therapeutic techniques in treating RA. This is because of its efficacy in localizing medicines precisely in inflamed joints. Therefore, the topic of nanomedicine, which has the potential to be utilized in the delivery of therapeutic drugs specifically to the joints that are damaged and inflammatory, will be the primary focus of this review. This will also contribute to the development of an understanding of nanomedicine, which assists in regulating the progression of the disease RA by emphasizing immune regulation, controlled medication release, and targeted delivery.