The potential of biomimetic nanoparticles for tumor-targeted drug delivery

In past decades, rapid progress in nanoparticle (NP) synthesis and engineering has provided a broad range of nanoscale agents affording both therapeutic and diagnostic functions. More recently, the emergence of biomimetic NPs as an efficient and promising technology has further expanded this field. The employment of biomemetic NPs offers many distinct advantages, including enhanced stability, the solubilization of hydrophobic payloads, extended blood residence times and the ability to better target a region of interest. In this review, we focus on two main categories of biomimetic NPs, protein/peptide-templated biomimetic NPs and cell membrane-derived biomimetic NPs. The properties, applications and challenges of these biomimetic NPs in tumor diagnosis and treatment are discussed. The pros and cons, and future development, of biomimetic NPs are also considered.