Cell Membrane Coated Particles

Nanoformulations are widely considered in the biomedical field for drug delivery, imaging, or detoxification purposes. Cell membrane coatings are a growing concept that aims to camouflage nanomaterials. The cell membranes are the first point of contact for cells to other biological or synthetic materials and nature has established signaling pathways in this context. In contrast to using purified membrane associated proteins, the use of purified cell membranes contains the protein of interest in a very native environment. This report provides an overview over the advances in cell membrane coated (nano)particles from the past 2-3 years. The progress in using cell membranes from mammalian cells without nuclei, i.e., red blood cells and platelets, as well as nucleus-containing cells in particular white blood cell and specific cancer cells is outlined. Additionally, highlights from recent reports considering hybrid cell membrane coating that originate from at least two different cell types are discussed. Finally, a future perspective indicating the challenges and potential of cell membrane coated nanomaterials and biomaterials is provided.