There
is a growing interest in the development of lipid-based nanocarriers
for multiple purposes, including the recent increase of these nanocarriers
as vaccine components during the COVID-19 pandemic. The number of
studies that involve the surface modification of nanocarriers to improve
their performance (increase the delivery of a therapeutic to its target
site with less off-site accumulation) is enormous. The present review
aims to provide an overview of various methods associated with lipid
nanoparticle grafting, including techniques used to separate grafted
nanoparticles from unbound ligands or to characterize grafted nanoparticles.
We also provide a critical perspective on the usefulness and true
impact of these modifications on overcoming different biological barriers,
with our prediction on what to expect in the near future in this field.
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