Cell Membrane-Cloaked Nanotherapeutics for Targeted Drug Delivery

Abstract

Cell membrane cloaking technique is bioinspired nanotechnology that takes advantage of naturally derived design cues for surface modification of nanoparticles. Unlike modification with synthetic materials, cell membranes can replicate complex physicochemical properties and biomimetic functions of the parent cell source. This technique indeed has the potential to greatly augment existing nanotherapeutic platforms. Here, we provide a comprehensive overview of engineered cell membrane-based nanotherapeutics for targeted drug delivery and biomedical applications and discuss the challenges and opportunities of cell membrane cloaking techniques for clinical translation.

Keywords: cell membrane; cell membrane engineering; drug delivery; nanoparticle.

Figure 1

Schematic overview of cell membrane-cloaked nanotherapeutics for targeted drug delivery. (Left) plasma cell membranes, cell organelle membranes, bacterial membranes are often used as a coating material for nanoparticles to mimic physicochemical properties of source cells, for example, multicomponent, cell-specific interaction, and targeting ability. Recent advances in cell membrane engineering (e.g., hybridization, lipid anchoring, and genetic modification) allow cell membrane-based nanotherapeutics to achieve even more diverse and improved targeting effects along with prolonged circulation and immune escape. (Right) various nanoparticles including polymeric, mesoporous, drug cluster, gold, magnetic, and metal-organic framework are used as a core for cell membrane-based nanotherapeutics. Multifunctional nanoparticle-based drug delivery platforms allow stimuli-responsive drug release, imaging, diagnosis, and combination therapy in biomedical field. Figure created with BioRender.