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Transport and interactions of nanoparticles in the kidneys

Nature Reviews Materials volume 3, pages 358–374 (2018)Cite this article

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Abstract

Kidneys are a major organ for blood filtration and waste elimination and thus play a key role in the transport and clearance of nanoparticles in vivo. The interactions of nanoparticles with different kidney compartments can be precisely regulated by modulating their size, shape and surface chemistry. The quantitative understanding of nanoparticle–kidney interactions at the molecular level is important for improving disease targeting, precisely controlling nanoparticle transport and clearance, and minimizing the potential health hazards of nanomedicines. In this Review, we summarize the glomerular filtration of macromolecules and nanoparticles in the kidney and survey kidney imaging techniques for the study of nanoparticle–kidney interactions ex vivo and in vivo. We investigate the different transport mechanisms of nanoparticles in the kidneys and discuss size, charge and shape dependencies in renal clearance. Nanoparticles are then investigated for the preclinical and clinical detection and treatment of diseases such as kidney dysfunction and cancer. Finally, challenges and opportunities for renal-clearable nanoparticles are highlighted.

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Fig. 1: Kidney anatomy.
Fig. 2: Size and charge scaling in the glomerular filtration of nanoparticles.
Fig. 3: Impact of kidney injury on the transport of nanoparticles through the kidneys.
Fig. 4: Design of nanomedicine for cancer imaging and treatment.

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Acknowledgements

The authors gratefully acknowledge support from the National Institutes of Health (NIH R01DK103363 and R43DK116368), the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT RP140544 and RP160866), Welch Research Foundation (AT-1974-20180324) and the start-up grant of The University of Texas at Dallas. The authors also acknowledge help from J. C. Lin and X. Jiang during the preparation of this manuscript.

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  1. Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, The University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX, USA

    Bujie Du, Mengxiao Yu & Jie Zheng

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  1. Bujie Du
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  2. Mengxiao Yu
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All authors contributed equally to the preparation of this manuscript.

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Correspondence to Jie Zheng.

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J.Z. and M.Y. have financial interest in ClearNano Inc., a company dedicated to developing and commercializing technologies for the early diagnosis of kidney diseases.

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Du, B., Yu, M. & Zheng, J. Transport and interactions of nanoparticles in the kidneys. Nat Rev Mater 3, 358–374 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41578-018-0038-3

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