ABSTRACT
Pattern recognition receptors (PRRs) are a double-edged sword that all nucleic acid nanoparticles (NANPs) must navigate. PRRs scan the extracellular, endosomal, and cytosolic environments for pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs) which are associated with microbial pathogens and damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs) associated with damage or death to the host cell. Toll-like receptors, are important PRRs that are expressed on the cell surface and endosomal compartment to survey the extracellular and endosomal space for PAMPs and DAMPs. The nucleic acid composition of NANPs greatly impacts PRR recognition given most PRRs recognize only RNA or DNA. Chemical modifications of nucleic acids affect immunorecognition by PRRs.
