Bioreactor: Intelligent platform for drug delivery

Bioreactor is a system where target substances could be generated through biochemical reaction or bioconversion by utilizing living conditions, including organisms, tissues, cells and enzymes. In recent years, many multifunctional drug delivery systems based on bioreactors have been developed for disease treatment and/or diagnosis, owing to their advantages of good biocompatibility, disease targeting ability, versatility, and low side effects. Therefore, it is essential to understand the basic principles and guidelines behind the designing of suitable bioreactor-based drug delivery systems, and also necessary to make a comprehensive summary of its cutting-edge research progress. In this review, we focus on the design principles and strategies of bioreactor-based drug delivery systems and summarize the advantages and applications from the aspects of in vivo bioreactors, cell-based bioreactors, and cellular vesicles-based bioreactors. In addition, we also highlight the applications of bioreactor-based drug delivery systems in the treatment or diagnosis of cancer, inflammatory bowel disease, Alzheimer's disease, and many other diseases. This review aims to serve as an up-to-date compilation in this area and provide inspiration for scientists in the field of biomedical applications.