Nanomedicine Strategies for Rheumatoid Arthritis: Precision Delivery and Immune Microenvironment Modulation

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic autoimmune disorder characterized by synovial inflammation, pannus formation, and progressive joint destruction. Despite their established clinical benefits, conventional antirheumatic drugs remain hampered by poor targeting precision, systemic toxicity, and inadequate immunomodulation of the dysregulated microenvironment. The recent development of nanomedicine technology offers transformative potential to address these therapeutic challenges. This review comprehensively examines the application of advanced nano-platforms in RA management, with particular focus on their dual roles in precision drug delivery and immune microenvironment remodeling. The discussion encompasses multifunctional nanomaterials that enable precise drug transport while actively regulating pathological processes through reactive oxygen species scavenging, hypoxia mitigation, and immune cell reprogramming. Additionally, the integration of diagnostic and therapeutic functions within nanomaterial systems represents a significant advancement in RA theranostics. Finally, translational challenges and future directions are critically analyzed to map the clinical development path for intelligent RA nanomedicine.