Preparation and biomedical applications of artificial cells

Qian Xu; Zeping Zhang; Pauline Po Yee Lui; Liang Lu; Xiaowu Li; Xing Zhang

doi:10.1016/j.mtbio.2023.100877

Preparation and biomedical applications of artificial cells

Mater Today Bio. 2023 Nov 24:23:100877. doi: 10.1016/j.mtbio.2023.100877. eCollection 2023 Dec.

Authors

Qian Xu^{1

2}, Zeping Zhang^{2

3}, Pauline Po Yee Lui⁴, Liang Lu^{2

3}, Xiaowu Li¹, Xing Zhang^{2

3}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Materials Physics and Chemistry, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Key Laboratory for Anisotropy and Texture of Materials, Ministry of Education, Northeastern University, Shenyang, Liaoning, 110819, China.
² Institute of Metal Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang, Liaoning, 110016, China.
³ School of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui, 230026, China.
⁴ Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, 999077, Hong Kong.

Abstract

Artificial cells have received much attention in recent years as cell mimics with typical biological functions that can be adapted for therapeutic and diagnostic applications, as well as having an unlimited supply. Although remarkable progress has been made to construct complex multifunctional artificial cells, there are still significant differences between artificial cells and natural cells. It is therefore important to understand the techniques and challenges for the fabrication of artificial cells and their applications for further technological advancement. The key concepts of top-down and bottom-up methods for preparing artificial cells are summarized, and the advantages and disadvantages of the bottom-up methods are compared and critically discussed in this review. Potential applications of artificial cells as drug carriers (microcapsules), as signaling regulators for coordinating cellular communication and as bioreactors for biomolecule fabrication, are further discussed. The challenges and future trends for the development of artificial cells simulating the real activities of natural cells are finally described.

Keywords: Artificial cells; Bioreactors; Bottom-up approach; Cellular communication; Microcapsules.

Publication types

Review