Biomimetic Drug Delivery Systems for Targeted Therapeutics
Summary
Biomimetic drug delivery systems seek to emulate natural biological structures and processes to enhance the precision, efficacy and safety of therapeutic agents. By harnessing the inherent advantages of biological carriers—such as cellular membranes, extracellular vesicles and protein assemblies—these platforms can evade immune clearance, traverse physiological barriers and home selectively to diseased tissues. Common strategies include coating synthetic nanoparticles with cell-derived membranes to confer self-markers, engineering liposomal constructs with receptor-specific ligands and designing polymeric vesicles that respond to biochemical or physical stimuli. Such systems offer controlled release kinetics, reduced off-target toxicity and the potential for multi-modal therapy by integrating imaging agents or immunomodulatory components. Applications span oncology, where tumour-targeting exosomes and peptide-derived nanocarriers improve chemotherapeutic index; neurology, where blood-brain barrier-penetrant vesicles deliver neuroprotective drugs; and cardiology, where biomimetic patches enable localised growth factor release. Advances in molecular engineering, microfluidic fabrication and computational modelling are converging to refine carrier architecture and surface chemistry, paving the way towards scalable manufacture and personalised, patient-specific formulations. As regulatory frameworks adapt to these hybrid platforms, biomimetic delivery is poised to transform the therapeutic landscape by marrying the sophistication of nature’s own transport systems with cutting-edge nanotechnology.
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Biomimetic Drug Delivery Systems for Targeted Therapeutics publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in biomimetic drug delivery systems for targeted therapeutics across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Biomimetic: Imitating natural biological processes or structures to achieve specific functional outcomes in synthetic systems.
Nanocarrier: A nanoscale vehicle—such as a liposome, polymeric vesicle or protein cage—designed to transport therapeutic agents to target sites.
Extracellular vesicle (EV): A lipid-bilayer enclosed particle released by cells, capable of carrying proteins, nucleic acids and small molecules for intercellular communication.
Liposome: A spherical vesicle composed of one or more phospholipid bilayers, employed to encapsulate hydrophilic or lipophilic drugs.
Stimuli-responsive: Referring to materials engineered to change properties—such as permeability or conformation—in response to environmental cues (pH, temperature, enzymes).
Targeted therapeutics: Treatments designed to accumulate preferentially at the site of disease, minimising systemic exposure and side effects.
References
- Targeted Drug Delivery in Lipid-like Nanocages and Extracellular Vesicles. Acta Naturae (2019).
- Translational Challenges and Prospective Solutions in the Implementation of Biomimetic Delivery Systems. Pharmaceutics (2023).
- Cell membrane capsules as biomimetic drug carriers. Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology (2016).
- Bio-Inspired Drug Delivery Systems: From Synthetic Polypeptide Vesicles to Outer Membrane Vesicles. Pharmaceutics (2023).
- Tailored Functionalized Protein Nanocarriers for Cancer Therapy: Recent Developments and Prospects. Pharmaceutics (2023).
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