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Updated: Jul 13, 2025

Assembly of Cell Mimicking Supported and Suspended Lipid Bilayer Models for the Study of Molecular Interactions
Published on: August 3, 2021
Membrane and Lumen-Compartmentalized Polymersomes for Biocatalysis and Cell Mimics
Qingmei Sun1,2, Junqiu Shi2, Hui Sun3
1Department of Gynaecology and Obstetrics, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology and Brain Functional Modulation, Clinical Research Center for Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, Translational Research Institute of Brain and Brain-Like Intelligence, Shanghai Fourth People's Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai 200434, China.
Abstract:
Compartmentalization is a crucial feature of a natural cell, manifested in cell membrane and inner lumen. Inspired by the cellular structure, multicompartment polymersomes (MCPs), including membrane-compartmentalized polymersomes and lumen-compartmentalized polymersomes (polymersomes-in-polymersomes), have aroused great expectations for biological applications such as biocatalysis and cell mimics in the past decades. Compared with traditional polymersomes, MCPs have advantages in encapsulating multiple enzymes separately for multistep enzymatic cascade reactions. In this review, first, the design principles and preparation methods of membrane-compartmentalized and lumen-compartmentalized polymersomes are summarized. Next, recent advances of MCPs as nanoreactors and cell mimics to mimic subcellular organelles or artificial cells are discussed. Finally, the future research directions of MCPs are prospected.
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