"Cell Membrane Nano Vesicles as Drug Carriers: Biomedical Applications"

Abstract

Cell therapy replaces damaged tissue or cells with intact and living cells obtained from the patient (autologous cells) or a donor (allogeneic cells). Cell therapy may have its origins in 1931 when Swiss physician Paul Niehans attempted to cure a patient by injecting calf embryos. Various cell types have been engineered as novel therapeutics for multiple diseases and conditions due to evolving research and emerging innovative technologies [1-3]. Cells such as erythrocytes, platelets, cancer cells, leukocytes, stem cells, and bacteria may be used. Among these, erythrocytes have a high degree of biocompatibility when used as autologous cells or carriers of therapeutic agents [4,5]. Platelets have been extensively studied as novel drug delivery carriers for enhanced efficacy due to their critical roles in hemostasis and thrombosis and their newly discovered role in the development and metastasis of tumors [6,7]. Synthetic nanoparticles (NPs) have been used to diagnose and deliver drugs to patients suffering from various diseases [8-15]. NPS are synthesized from a variety of materials, including lipids [16,17], polymers [18], proteins [19-22], and metals [23-25]. NPS are frequently conjugated with targeting ligands or antibodies to deliver them to pathological sites in the body [26]. However, the biofunctionalization of NPs is insufficient to replicate the complex and multicellular interactions found in the human body, potentially limiting the efficacy of drug delivery via those nanotechnologies [27,28]. Intercellular communication is critical for survival and homeostasis maintenance in all multicellular systems.