Nanotechnology as a promising platform for rheumatoid arthritis management: Diagnosis, treatment, and treatment monitoring

Abstract

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic inflammatory autoimmune disease that develops in about 5 per 1000 people. Over the past years, substantial progresses in knowledge of the disease's pathophysiology, effective diagnosis methods, early detection, and efficient treatment strategies have been made. Notably, nanotechnology has emerged as a game-changer in the efficacious management of many diseases, especially for RA. Joint replacement, photothermal therapy (PTT), photodynamic therapy (PDT), RA diagnosis, and treatment monitoring are nano-based avenues in RA management. Here, we present a brief overview of the pathogenesis of RA, risk factors, conventional diagnostic methods and treatment approaches, and then discuss the role of nanomedicine in RA diagnosis, treatment, and treatment monitoring with an emphasis on functional characteristics distinctive from other RA therapeutics.

Keywords: Diagnosis; Nanomedicine; Rheumatoid arthritis; Treatment.