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Red blood cells (RBCs) and RBC membrane-derived nanoparticles have been historically developed as bioinspired drug delivery systems to combat the issues of premature clearance, toxicity, and immunogenicity of synthetic nanocarriers. RBC-based delivery systems possess characteristics including biocompatibility, biodegradability, and long circulation time, which make them suited for systemic administration. Therefore, they have been employed in designing optimal drug formulations in various preclinical models and clinical trials to treat a wide range of diseases. In this review, we provide an overview of the biology, synthesis, and characterization of drug delivery systems based on RBCs and their membrane including whole RBCs, RBC membrane-camouflaged nanoparticles, RBC-derived extracellular vesicles, and RBC hitchhiking. We also highlight conventional and latest engineering strategies, along with various therapeutic modalities, for enhanced precision and effectiveness of drug delivery. Additionally, we focus on the current state of RBC-based therapeutic applications and their clinical translation as drug carriers, as well as discussing opportunities and challenges associated with these systems.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/acsnano.2c11965 | DOI Listing |
Nanomedicine (Lond)
September 2025
Department of Anesthesiology & Critical Care Medicine, The George Washington University, Washington, DC, USA.
BMC Biotechnol
September 2025
Zoology Department, Faculty of Science, Cairo University, Giza, 12613, Egypt.
Fundam Clin Pharmacol
October 2025
Postgraduate Program in Pharmaceutical Science, Federal University of Juiz de Fora, Juiz de Fora, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
This review highlights the integration of drug repurposing and nanotechnology-driven delivery strategies as innovative approaches to enhance the antifungal activity of statins against mucosal candidiasis, providing a framework for future translational research and clinical application. The rising prevalence of antifungal resistance and virulence factors of Candida albicans underscore the limitations of current therapies. Statins, commonly used as lipid-lowering agents, have emerged as attractive repurposed drug candidates due to their ability to interfere with fungal ergosterol biosynthesis and Ras-mediated signaling pathways.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPharm Res
September 2025
Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Department, University of Texas at Arlington, 500 W First St, Rm 211, Arlington, TX, 76019, USA.
Objective: A fundamental understanding of drug diffusion and binding processes is critical for the design and optimization of a wide variety of drug delivery devices. Most of the past literature assume binding to occur uniformly throughout the tissue, or, at best, in specific layers of a multilayer tissue. However, in many realistic scenarios, such as in cancer-targeting drugs, drug binding occurs in discrete irregularly shaped regions.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFNat Rev Urol
September 2025
Department of Genitourinary Oncology, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Tampa, FL, USA.
Low-grade non-muscle invasive bladder cancer is a specific category of bladder cancer with a favourable prognosis; however, its management presents several challenges. The risk of stage progression is very low, but approximately half of patients will experience recurrence within the first 5 years after diagnosis. This high propensity for recurrence, coupled with the threat of progression, mandates ongoing surveillance.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF