Nanoparticles have emerged as a promising platform for targeted drug delivery to the kidney, due to their unique physicochemical properties and ability to penetrate biological barriers. By conjugating therapeutic agents to nanoparticles and engineering their surface properties, it is possible to achieve targeted delivery to the kidney and enhance drug efficacy while minimizing systemic toxicity. In the context of kidney stone treatment, nanoparticles can be used to deliver lithotripsy agents directly to the site of the stone, improving their efficiency and reducing the risk of side effects. Additionally, nanoparticles can be used to deliver antimicrobial agents to the urinary tract, reducing the risk of urinary tract infections associated with kidney stones. Nanoparticles offer an exciting opportunity to revolutionize the treatment of kidney stones and related conditions by enabling targeted drug delivery and improved therapeutic outcomes.
Kidneys are vital organs, and have a great importance in our survival. They perform
numerous essential functions in our body such as urine production, maintenance of acid base
balance and regulation of the electrolyte concentrations. Apart from aforesaid functions,
kidneys are also involved in production and secretion of various essential hormones such
as erythropoietin, calcitriol, renin, etc. Any impairment in the normal renal physiological functioning can result in serious health problems such as urinary
tract infections, hypertension, inflammation related diseases, renal calculi and nephropathy.
Nanoparticles (NPs) have been explored extensively as potential carriers for kidney
targeted drug delivery because of their inherent tendency to deposit in tissues. Their
physicochemical properties such as size, shape, surface targeting agents and charge play
crucial role in determining their capability of overcoming the biological barriers and reaching the
designated destination . Nanoparticles based drug delivery systems
typically consist of a therapeutic moiety (small molecule drug, protein or nucleic acid) and other
structural elements such as polymers, lipids which are packed together into a nano-sized
object. There are other classes of NPs as well, consisting of inorganic compounds such as
iron oxide, gold, silver or cadmium which are being probed as therapeutics agents.
