Phospholipid nanodisc engineering for drug delivery systems

Biocompatible mesoscale nanoparticles (5-100 nm in diameter) are attractive tools for drug delivery. Among them are several types of liposomes and polymer micelles already in clinical trial or use. Generally, biocompatibility of such particles is achieved by coating them with polyethylene glycol (PEG). Without PEG coating, particles are quickly trapped in the reticuloendothelial system when intravenously administered. However, recent studies have revealed several potential problems with PEG coating, including antigenicity and restriction of cellular uptake. This has motivated the development of alternative drug and gene delivery vehicles, including chemically and genetically engineered high-density lipoprotein (HDL)-like nanodiscs or "bicelles". HDL is a naturally occurring mesoscale nanoparticle that normally ferries cholesterol around in the body. Its initial "nascent" form is thought to be a simple 10 nm disc of phospholipids in a bilayer, and can be easily synthesized in vitro by mixing recombinant apoA-I proteins with various phospholipids. In this review, the use of synthetic HDL-like phospholipid nanodiscs as biocompatible drug carriers is summarized, focussing on manufacturing, size-control, drug loading and cell targeting.