Preparation of Hyaluronic Acid-Based Nanoparticles for Macrophage-Targeted MicroRNA Delivery and Transfection.

Skewing the macrophage polarity to achieve a favorable phenotype is a recently investigated therapeutic strategy in multiple disease/dysfunctional conditions such as inflammation, tumors, autoimmune disorders, and tissue repairs. However, delivering the therapeutic agent specifically to the macrophages has been a challenge in this field. Here, we describe the synthesis of hyaluronic acid (HA)-based nanoparticles for targeting CD44 receptors on the macrophages. The HA backbone is modified with cationic polyethyleneimine (PEI) for efficient encapsulation of microRNA into the self-assembling nanoparticles for targeted delivery to macrophages.