A novel chimeric influenza virosome containing Vesicular stomatitis G protein as a more efficient gene delivery system

Bioinspired Lipid Nanocarriers for RNA Delivery

RNA therapy is a disruptive technology comprising a rapidly expanding category of drugs. Further translation of RNA therapies to the clinic will improve the treatment of many diseases and help enable personalized medicine. However, in vivo delivery of RNA remains challenging due to the lack of appropriate delivery tools. Current state-of-the-art carriers such as ionizable lipid nanoparticles still face significant challenges, including frequent localization to clearance-associated organs and limited (1-2%) endosomal escape. Thus, delivery vehicles must be improved to further unlock the full potential of RNA therapeutics. An emerging strategy is to modify existing or new lipid nanocarriers by incorporating bioinspired design principles. This method generally aims to improve tissue targeting, cellular uptake, and endosomal escape, addressing some of the critical issues facing the field. In this review, we introduce the different strategies for creating bioinspired lipid-based RNA carriers and discuss the potential implications of each strategy based on reported findings. These strategies include incorporating naturally derived lipids into existing nanocarriers and mimicking bioderived molecules, viruses, and exosomes. We evaluate each strategy based on the critical factors required for delivery vehicles to succeed. Finally, we point to areas of research that should be furthered to enable the more successful rational design of lipid nanocarriers for RNA delivery.

Nano-Biomimetic Drug Delivery Vehicles: Potential Approaches for COVID-19 Treatment

The current COVID-19 pandemic has tested the resolve of the global community with more than 35 million infections worldwide and numbers increasing with no cure or vaccine available to date. Nanomedicines have an advantage of providing enhanced permeability and retention and have been extensively studied as targeted drug delivery strategies for the treatment of different disease. The role of monocytes, erythrocytes, thrombocytes, and macrophages in diseases, including infectious and inflammatory diseases, cancer, and atherosclerosis, are better understood and have resulted in improved strategies for targeting and in some instances mimicking these cell types to improve therapeutic outcomes. Consequently, these primary cell types can be exploited for the purposes of serving as a "Trojan horse" for targeted delivery to identified organs and sites of inflammation. State of the art and potential utilization of nanocarriers such as nanospheres/nanocapsules, nanocrystals, liposomes, solid lipid nanoparticles/nano-structured lipid carriers, dendrimers, and nanosponges for biomimicry and/or targeted delivery of bioactives to cells are reported herein and their potential use in the treatment of COVID-19 infections discussed. Physicochemical properties, viz., hydrophilicity, particle shape, surface charge, composition, concentration, the use of different target-specific ligands on the surface of carriers, and the impact on carrier efficacy and specificity are also discussed.

Research Progress in Bioinspired Drug Delivery Systems

INTRODUCTION

To tackle challenges associated with traditional drug carriers, investigators have explored cells, cellular membrane, and macromolecular components including proteins and exosomes for the fabrication of delivery vehicles, owing to their excellent biocompatibility, lower toxicity, lower immunogenicity and similarities with the host. Biomacromolecule- and biomimetic nanoparticle (NP)-based drug/gene carriers are drawing immense attention, and biomimetic drug delivery systems (BDDSs) have been conceived and constructed.

AREAS COVERED

This review focuses on BDDS based on mammalian cells, including blood cells, cancer cells, adult stem cells, endogenous proteins, pathogens and extracellular vesicles (EVs).

EXPERT OPINION

Compared with traditional drug delivery systems (DDSs), BDDSs are based on biological nanocarriers, exhibiting superior biocompatibility, fewer side effects, natural targeting, and diverse modifications. In addition to directly employing natural biomaterials such as cells, proteins, pathogens and EVs as carriers, BDDSs offer these advantages by mimicking the structure of natural nanocarriers through bioengineering technologies. Furthermore, BDDSs demonstrate fewer limitations and irregularities than natural materials and can overcome several shortcomings associated with natural carriers. Although research remains ongoing to resolve these limitations, it is anticipated that BDDSs possess the potential to overcome challenges associated with traditional DDS, with a promising future in the treatment of human diseases.

Bioinspired and Biomimetic Nanotherapies for the Treatment of Infectious Diseases

There are still great challenges for the effective treatment of infectious diseases, although considerable achievement has been made by using antiviral and antimicrobial agents varying from small-molecule drugs, peptides/proteins, to nucleic acids. The nanomedicine approach is emerging as a new strategy capable of overcoming disadvantages of molecular therapeutics and amplifying their anti-infective activities, by localized delivery to infection sites, reducing off-target effects, and/or attenuating resistance development. Nanotechnology, in combination with bioinspired and biomimetic approaches, affords additional functions to nanoparticles derived from synthetic materials. Herein, we aim to provide a state-of-the-art review on recent progress in biomimetic and bioengineered nanotherapies for the treatment of infectious disease. Different biomimetic nanoparticles, derived from viruses, bacteria, and mammalian cells, are first described, with respect to their construction and biophysicochemical properties. Then, the applications of diverse biomimetic nanoparticles in anti-infective therapy are introduced, either by their intrinsic activity or by loading and site-specifically delivering various molecular drugs. Bioinspired and biomimetic nanovaccines for prevention and/or therapy of infectious diseases are also highlighted. At the end, major translation issues and future directions of this field are discussed.

Targeted Drug Delivery in Lipid-like Nanocages and Extracellular Vesicles

The possibility of targeted drug delivery to a specific tissue, organ, or cell has opened new promising avenues in treatment development. The technology of targeted delivery aims to create multifunctional carriers that are capable of long circulation in the patient's organism and possess low toxicity at the same time. The surface of modern synthetic carriers has high structural similarity to the cell membrane, which, when combined with additional modifications, also promotes the transfer of biological properties in order to penetrate physiological barriers effectively. Along with artificial nanocages, further efforts have recently been devoted to research into extracellular vesicles that could serve as natural drug delivery vehicles. This review provides a detailed description of targeted delivery systems that employ lipid and lipid-like nanocages, as well as extracellular vesicles with a high level of biocompatibility, highlighting genetically encoded drug delivery vehicles.