Autonomously Propelled Colloids for Penetration and Payload Delivery in Complex Extracellular Matrices

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Materials Science
• Pharmacology

Background:

• The extracellular matrix (ECM) in diseased tissues like cancer and fibrosis creates a barrier, hindering drug delivery nanoparticles.
• A stiff ECM impedes the transport of therapeutic agents, limiting treatment effectiveness.
• Current drug delivery methods face challenges due to the physical and biological properties of the ECM.

Purpose of the Study:

• To comprehensively review existing ECM models that mimic in vivo diseased states.
• To analyze various types of self-propelled particles (SPPs) tested in these ECM models.
• To identify future research directions for the clinical translation of SPPs in biomedical applications.

Main Methods:

• Review of current in vitro and in vivo ECM models used for drug delivery research.
• Analysis of experimental studies on different SPP designs and propulsion mechanisms.
• Literature synthesis of SPP performance within ECM-mimicking environments.

Main Results:

• Various ECM models effectively replicate the physical and biological challenges of in vivo environments.
• Different SPPs demonstrate varying degrees of success in navigating and penetrating ECM-mimicking models.
• SPPs show potential for enhanced drug transport compared to passive nanoparticles.

Conclusions:

• SPPs offer a promising strategy to overcome ECM barriers for improved therapeutic agent delivery.
• Further research into SPP design, control, and biocompatibility is crucial for clinical translation.
• Standardized ECM models and rigorous testing are needed to advance SPP technology for diverse biomedical settings.