Recent advances in cell membrane-camouflaged nanoparticles for inflammation therapy

Drug Deliv. 2021 Dec;28(1):1109-1119. doi: 10.1080/10717544.2021.1934188.

Abstract

During inflammation, inflammatory cells are rapidly recruited to sites of infection or injury, where they cross physiological barriers around the infected site and further infiltrate into the tissues. Other cells, such as erythrocytes, endothelial cells and stem cells, also play prominent roles in host defense and tissue repair. In recent years, nanotechnology has been exploited to deliver drugs to sites of inflammation. For example, nanoparticles camouflaged with a cell membrane are a novel drug-delivery platform that can interact with the immune system and that show great potential for treating inflammation. Encapsulating drugs inside plasma membranes derived from various cells involved in inflammatory processes can be effective against inflammation. This review describes the preparation, characterization, and properties of various types of cell membrane-camouflaged biomimetic nanoparticles. It also summarizes preclinical research into their efficacy against inflammation.

Keywords: Cell membrane; camouflaged; drug delivery; inflammation; nanoparticles.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Biological Mimicry / physiology*
  • Blood Cells / metabolism
  • Cell Membrane / metabolism*
  • Chemistry, Pharmaceutical
  • Drug Carriers / pharmacology*
  • Drug Stability
  • Drug Storage
  • Eukaryotic Cells / metabolism
  • Inflammation / drug therapy*
  • Macrophages / metabolism
  • Nanoparticles / metabolism*
  • Particle Size
  • Protease Inhibitors / metabolism
  • Stem Cells / metabolism
  • Surface Properties
  • Technology, Pharmaceutical

Substances

  • Drug Carriers
  • Protease Inhibitors

Grants and funding

This work was supported by the Sichuan Science and Technology Program [2018RZ0120], the National Natural Science Foundation of China [81803478], the Science and Technology Project of Luzhou Government [2019-JYJ-51], the Luzhou Science and Technology Program [2018-JYJ-41], the Foundation of Southwest Medical University [2017-ZRZD-003], and the Collaborative Project of Luzhou Government and Southwest Medical University [2018LZXNYD-PT02].