Nanoparticles in the Treatment of Renal Fibrosis

Renal fibrosis represents a key pathological hallmark of chronic kidney disease (CKD), a prevalent condition worldwide that currently lacks effective therapies. Nanotechnology offers transformative potential for renal fibrosis treatments. Engineered nanoparticles (NPs), with tunable physicochemical properties such as size, surface charge, and shape, enable targeted and controlled drug delivery. Furthermore, active targeting strategies can increase nanoparticle uptake by specific cell types or structures in kidneys. Although nanomedicine-based strategies for renal fibrosis remain at an early, predominantly preclinical stage, accumulating evidence from experimental models suggests substantial potential for improving therapeutic precision and efficacy in fibrotic kidney disease. This review integrates recent insights into the pathogenesis of renal fibrosis, NP design strategies, along with advances in NP-based therapeutics, highlighting nanomedicine as a promising approach for precise and effective intervention in CKD-associated renal fibrosis.