Spray-induced gene silencing (SIGS) is a powerful and eco-friendly method for crop protection. Based off the discovery of RNA uptake ability in many fungal pathogens, the application of exogenous RNAs targeting pathogen/pest genes results in gene silencing and infection inhibition. However, SIGS remains hindered by the rapid degradation of RNA in the environment. As extracellular vesicles are used by plants, animals, and microbes in nature to transport RNAs for cross-kingdom/species RNA interference between hosts and microbes/pests, nanovesicles and other nanoparticles have been used to prevent RNA degradation. Efforts examining the effect of nanoparticles on RNA stability and internalization have identified key attributes that can inform better nanocarrier designs for SIGS. Understanding sRNA biogenesis, cross-kingdom/species RNAi, and how plants and pathogens/pests naturally interact are paramount for the design of SIGS strategies. Here, we focus on nanotechnology advancements for the engineering of innovative RNA-based disease control strategies against eukaryotic pathogens and pests.

喷雾诱导基因沉默（SIGS）是一种强大且环保的作物保护方法。基于许多真菌病原体对RNA摄取能力的发现，针对病原体/害虫基因的外源RNA的应用可导致基因沉默和感染抑制。然而，SIGS 仍然受到环境中 RNA 快速降解的阻碍。由于自然界中的植物、动物和微生物利用细胞外囊泡来运输 RNA，以实现宿主和微生物/害虫之间跨界/物种的 RNA 干扰，因此纳米囊泡和其他纳米颗粒已被用来防止 RNA 降解。通过研究纳米颗粒对 RNA 稳定性和内化的影响，我们发现了关键属性，可以为 SIGS 提供更好的纳米载体设计。了解 sRNA 生物发生、跨界/物种 RNAi、植物和病原体/害虫如何自然相互作用对于 SIGS 策略的设计至关重要。在这里，我们重点关注纳米技术的进步，用于针对真核病原体和害虫设计基于 RNA 的创新疾病控制策略。