Cells membrane-coated nanoparticles (CMs-NPs) represent a highly promising platform in cancer treatment. Due to the various types of cell sources employed and the broad designs of NPs, CM-NPs have emerged as versatile and multifunctional platforms with wide applicability in medicine. This literature review showcases the applications of CMs-NPs in cancer therapy, highlighting significant advancements in tumor-targeted delivery, phototherapy, and immunotherapy. Different cell types employed as CMs sources are reviewed, including cancer cells, red blood cells, platelets, white blood cells, stem cells, fibroblasts, and bacterium. Hybrid CMs-coatings and the technology to produce them are also included. Additionally, the state of the art in methodologies is critically examined, noting that while effective methods for coating and isolation of CMs exist, further optimization is still required. The latest reports and research findings in this regard are also presented, emphasizing the continuous need for innovation to overcome substantial challenges related to this promising nanotechnology. The aim of this review is to provide an in-depth overview of the evolving landscape in the development of effective and targeted cancer treatments, underscoring the transformative potential of CMs-NPs in revolutionizing cancer care and improving patient outcomes.

The main aim of this study is to report basic knowledge on how a protein corona (PC) could affect or modify the way in which multifunctionalized nanoparticles interact with cells. With this purpose, we have firstly optimized the development of a target-specific nanocarrier by coupling a specific fluorescent antibody on the surface of functionalized lipid liquid nanocapsules (LLNCs). Thus, an anti-HER2-FITC antibody (αHER2) has been used, HER2 being a surface receptor that is overexpressed in several tumor cells. Subsequently, the in vitro formation of a PC has been developed using fetal bovine serum supplemented with human fibrinogen. Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS), Nanoparticle Tracking Analysis (NTA), Laser Doppler Electrophoresis (LDE), and Gel Chromatography techniques have been used to assure a complete physico-chemical characterization of the nano-complexes with (LLNCs-αHER2-PC) and without (LLNCs-αHER2) the surrounding PC. In addition, cellular assays were performed to study the cellular uptake and the specific cellular-nanocarrier interactions using the SKBR3 (high expression of HER2) breast cancer cell line and human dermal fibroblasts (HDFa) (healthy cell line without expression of HER2 receptors as control), showing that the SKBR3 cell line had a higher transport rate (50-fold) than HDFa at 60 min with LLNCs-αHER2. Moreover, the SKBR3 cell line incubated with LLNCs-αHER2-PC suffered a significant reduction (40%) in the uptake. These results suggest that the formation of a PC onto LLNCs does not prevent specific cell targeting, although it does have an important influence on cell uptake.

Maslinic acid (MA) is a natural pentacyclic triterpenoid with inherent antitumor activity which has a very low solubility in water. MA solid lipid nanoparticles (SLNs) were prepared using Poloxamer 407 and Dicarboxylic acid-Poloxamer 407 as surfactants. Both MA SLNs are monodisperse, with sizes around 130 nm, and stable. Curcumin has been encapsulated in both types of nanoparticles without altering their colloidal properties. Moreover, SLNs greatly improve the solubility of MA and Curcumin. The cytotoxicity of MA and SLNs has been evaluated in BxPC3 human pancreatic cancer cells, MCF7 human breast cancer cells, and in a human fibroblast primary cell line. MA shows higher cytotoxic effect in BxPC3 and MCF7 cancer cells than in human primary fibroblasts. Nile Red loaded MA SLNs are quickly uptaken by BxPC3 and MCF7 cells, and show different cytoplasmic distributions depending on the cellular line. The oral or intravenous administration of MA SLNs in mice does not report any toxic effect, and the intravenous administration of fluorescent MA SLNs shows a homogeneous distribution in mice, without site-specific accumulation. Results suggest the great potential of MA SLNs as nanocarriers of anticancer drugs and as promising targeted theranostic nanodevices.

The recent description of well-defined molecular subtypes of breast cancer has led to the clinical development of a number of successful molecular targets. Particularly, triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is an aggressive type of breast cancer with historically poor outcomes, mainly due to the lack of effective targeted therapies. Recent progresses in materials science have demonstrated the impressive properties of metal–organic framework nanoparticles (NPs) as antitumoral drug delivery systems. Here, in a way to achieve efficient bio-interfaces with cancer cells and improve their internalization, benchmarked MIL-100(Fe) NPs were coated with cell membranes (CMs) derived from the human TNBC cell line MDA-MB-468. The prepared CMs-coated metal–organic framework (CMs_MIL-100(Fe)) showed enhanced colloidal stability, cellular uptake, and cytotoxicity in MDA-MB-468 cells compared to non-coated NPs, paving the way for these human CMs-coated MIL-100(Fe) NPs as effective targeted therapies against the challenging TNBC.

Maslinic acid (MA), a triterpene widely found in natural sources, is a compound which is gaining interest due to its multiple therapeutic activities and its lack of harmful effects. However, MA is practically insoluble in water, which limits its clinical application. Here, we present a solvent displacement method to produce MA Solid Lipid Nanoparticles (SLNs) as a nanoplatform to carry hydrophobic drugs. A systematic study of the experimental parameters that may have some influence on the colloidal characteristics of MA SLNs was carried out. The effect of the aqueous/organic phase volume ratio and the organic phase composition on the size of SLNs evidence the role of the solvent diffusivity on the colloidal characteristic of the SLNs. On the other hand, the effect of surfactant/MA ratio proved the relevance of the surfactant on stabilizing the SLNs interface, owing to the changes on the interfacial tension that it promotes. MA SLNs have proved to be highly stable over time and in a wide range of pH and salinity conditions, as well as having a high curcumin encapsulation efficiency. The MA SLNs prepared in this work provide a starting point to develop functionalized active nanocarriers which allow establishing a synergistic relation with the loaded drug.