MicroRNA-targeting nanomedicines for the treatment of intervertebral disc degeneration

Low back pain stands as a pervasive global health concern, afflicting almost 80% of adults at some point in their lives with nearly 40% attributable to intervertebral disc degeneration (IVDD). As only symptomatic relief can be offered to patients there is a dire need for innovative treatments.Given the accumulating evidence that multiple microRNAs (miRs) are dysregulated during IVDD, they could have a huge potential against this debilitating condition. The way miRs can profoundly modulate signaling pathways and influence several cellular processes at once is particularly exciting to tackle this multifaceted disorder. However, miR delivery encounters extracellular and intracellular biological barriers. A promising technology to address this challenge is the vectorization of miRs within nanoparticles, providing both protection and enhancing their uptake within the scarce target cells of the degenerated IVD. This comprehensive review presents the diverse spectrum of miRs' connection with IVDD and demonstrates their therapeutic potential when vectorized in nanomedicines.

Harnessing the power of RNA therapeutics in treating ischemic heart failure: the TRAIN-HEART story

Ischemic heart disease (IHD) is one of the world's foremost killers, accounting for 16% of all deaths worldwide. IHD is the main cause of heart failure (HF), as it leads to pathological changes in the heart, improper pumping function and eventual death. Therapeutic interventions usually follow a systemic general strategy for all heart failure subtypes due to the lack of a deep understanding of the disease mechanisms. Hence, HF and IHD therapeutics need groundbreaking concepts to guide the development of a new therapeutics class that tackles the disease at a molecular level. The TRAIN-HEART consortium, a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions Innovative Training Network (MSCA-ITN) funded by the European Commission, was established with the goal of filling that gap and developing RNA-based cardiovascular therapeutics. Created in the context of the Horizon 2020 research and innovation program, TRAIN-HEART comprises three key work packages (WPs) focusing on the pathogenesis of heart disease (WP1), the therapeutic potential of RNA therapeutics (WP2), and the development of new efficient delivery systems (WP3). Fifteen international early stage researchers (ESRs) from multiple complementary scientific disciplines were recruited to collaborate with a network of PIs from nine academic and eight non-academic partners in various disciplines to fully harness their collective potential for the betterment of HF treatment. This article provides an overview of the benefits of being part of an MSCA-ITN, with its different training and networking opportunities, maximizing ESRs' potential and broadening collaborative research possibilities. Finally, it describes what was like to do a PhD during the COVID-19 pandemic, with all the uncertainty and concern attached to it. Luckily, TRAIN-HEART stood out as a proactive network, finding new initiatives and alternatives to promote scientific and personal development. By bringing together leading academic teams, (biotech) companies, and highly motivated researchers, TRAIN-HEART is expanding scientific horizons and accelerating future development of effective RNA-based therapies to treat IHD.

Chitosan Based MicroRNA Nanocarriers

Vectorization of microRNAs has shown to be a smart approach for their potential delivery to treat many diseases (i.e., cancer, osteopathy, vascular, and infectious diseases). However, there are barriers to genetic in vivo delivery regarding stability, targeting, specificity, and internalization. Polymeric nanoparticles can be very promising candidates to overcome these challenges. One of the most suitable polymers for this purpose is chitosan. Chitosan (CS), a biodegradable biocompatible natural polysaccharide, has always been of interest for drug and gene delivery. Being cationic, chitosan can easily form particles with anionic polymers to encapsulate microRNA or even complex readily forming polyplexes. However, fine tuning of chitosan characteristics is necessary for a successful formulation. In this review, we cover all chitosan miRNA formulations investigated in the last 10 years, to the best of our knowledge, so that we can distinguish their differences in terms of materials, formulation processes, and intended applications. The factors that make some optimized systems superior to their predecessors are also discussed to reach the highest potential of chitosan microRNA nanocarriers.