Table 5 Summary of different types of administration routes for mRNA delivery
From: mRNA nanodelivery systems: targeting strategies and administration routes
Administration Routes | Advantages | Disadvantages | Target organs/cells |
|---|---|---|---|
Intravenous administration | Common methods of mRNA therapy Rapid onset of action High bioavailability mRNA NPs can be directly delivered to the systemic circulation | Invasive Extrahepatic targeting difficulty Immunogenicity | Liver Lung Spleen Lymph node Fetus |
Intramuscular (i.m.) administration | Common method of vaccine administration Convenient Avoids first-pass metabolism | Invasive Painful | Immune cells |
Subcutaneous (s.c.) administration | Convenient Avoids first-pass metabolism | Invasive Painful | Immune cells |
Intradermal (i.d.) administration | Efficient delivery of small doses Minimal tissue damage | Invasive Painful | Immune cells |
Microneedles (MNs) | Non-invasive Painless Simple operation Convenient storage Avoids first-pass metabolism | Specialized equipment required | Immune cells |
Needle-free injection (NFI) | Non-invasive Painless Simple operation Avoids first-pass metabolism Contact areas between drugs and capillaries increased | Specialized equipment required | Immune cells |
Intranasal administration | Aon-invasiveRapid onset of actionAvoids first-pass metabolism Precisely targeting the lungs Bypass the BBB and reach the central nervous system | Overcome barriers in respiratory tracts | Lung Brain |
Oral administration | Non-invasive Convenient Easy to administer | Overcome barriers in gastrointestinal tract Low bioavailability first-pass metabolism | Gastrointestinal tract |
Vaginal nebulization | Non-invasive Avoids first-pass metabolism Higher drug concentration with reduced dosage | Limited to female | Vagina Immune cells |
Intravesical instillation | High local drug concentration Avoids systemic side effects Sustained release | Invasive Limited to bladder-related conditions | Bladder tissues |
Orthotopic injection | Avoids some unique tissue barriers Precise delivery to target organ Avoids systemic side effects | Invasive Requires specialized expertise | Brain Eyes Fetus |