Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 9, 2026
08:02
Cell Squeezing as a Robust, Microfluidic Intracellular Delivery Platform
Published on: November 7, 2013
13.3K
Engineered cellular drug delivery: Strategies and applications
Juan Lu1,2, Wuxinrui Huang1,2, Beikang Tang1,2
1Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, 410011, Hunan, China.
Materials Today. Bio
|December 9, 2025
Summary
Engineered cellular drug delivery systems (ECDDS) overcome limitations of traditional cell-based systems. This review analyzes ECDDS engineering, in vivo behavior, and therapeutic applications, proposing a design framework for precision medicine.
Area of Science:
- Biomedical Engineering
- Drug Delivery
- Cellular Therapeutics
Background:
- Cell-based drug delivery systems (CDDS) offer biocompatibility but face challenges like immune suppression and biological barriers.
- Limitations include poor targeting and uncontrolled drug release, hindering clinical translation.
- Engineered cellular drug delivery systems (ECDDS) are developed to enhance specificity, barrier penetration, and controlled release.
Purpose of the Study:
- To provide a comprehensive analysis of contemporary engineering methods and design approaches for ECDDS.
- To examine the in vivo fate and therapeutic, imaging, and diagnostic applications of ECDDS.
- To propose a unified "three-axis" design framework for rational ECDDS development.
Main Methods:
- Review of current literature on ECDDS engineering strategies.
- Analysis of studies detailing in vivo behavior and applications of ECDDS.
- Development of a conceptual "three-axis" design framework.
Main Results:
- ECDDS offer improved target specificity, enhanced barrier crossing (e.g., blood-brain barrier), and controlled drug release.
- Engineering strategies enable customization for precision medicine applications.
- A systematic framework is proposed to guide future ECDDS design.
Conclusions:
- ECDDS represent a promising platform for advanced drug delivery, overcoming limitations of conventional CDDS.
- The proposed "three-axis" framework facilitates rational design for diverse therapeutic and diagnostic needs.
- Further research into ECDDS holds significant potential for precision medicine.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
01:16Drug Delivery: Overview
703
The selection of a drug's delivery route depends upon its physicochemical properties, including lipid or water solubility and ionization, as well as the therapeutic requirement, such as immediate or sustained effect. These routes can be divided into three primary categories: enteral, parenteral, and topical.
Enteral delivery involves administering drugs directly through swallowing, sublingual placement, or buccal application. Orally administered drugs predominantly navigate the...
Enteral delivery involves administering drugs directly through swallowing, sublingual placement, or buccal application. Orally administered drugs predominantly navigate the...
703
01:24Cellular Membranes and Drug Transport
1.4K
Drugs must traverse multiple biological barriers, such as multi-layered skin, single-layered intestinal epithelium, and the plasma membrane, to reach their target sites within the body. The plasma membrane, a highly structured composite of phospholipids, carbohydrates, and proteins, is the cell's protective boundary, facilitating selective substance exchange.
Phospholipids arrange themselves into a bilayer, with hydrophilic heads oriented outward and hydrophobic tails facing inward.
Phospholipids arrange themselves into a bilayer, with hydrophilic heads oriented outward and hydrophobic tails facing inward.
1.4K
01:23Mechanisms of Drug Absorption: Paracellular, Transcellular, and Vesicular Transport
1.5K
Drugs need to permeate cell membranes to reach their target sites after administration. Orally administered drugs must transcend intestinal epithelial membrane barriers to infiltrate the systemic circulation. Drugs with a molecular weight of less than 500 Daltons diffuse through gaps between neighboring cells, called paracellular pathways.
However, most drugs use the transcellular route, traversing directly through the cell membranes via two mechanisms: passive and active transport. Passive...
However, most drugs use the transcellular route, traversing directly through the cell membranes via two mechanisms: passive and active transport. Passive...
1.5K
01:22Drug Delivery: Miscellaneous Routes
694
Drug delivery methods like oral inhalation, nasal sprays, transdermal patches, eye drops, intravitreal injection, and rectal administration provide localized effects with reduced toxicity.
Oral inhalation and nasal sprays swiftly transfer drugs across the respiratory epithelium's mucosal layer. Inhaled glucocorticoids and bronchodilators directly target lung conditions such as asthma, while fluticasone nasal spray mitigates allergic rhinitis.
Transdermal patches transport drugs...
Oral inhalation and nasal sprays swiftly transfer drugs across the respiratory epithelium's mucosal layer. Inhaled glucocorticoids and bronchodilators directly target lung conditions such as asthma, while fluticasone nasal spray mitigates allergic rhinitis.
Transdermal patches transport drugs...
694
01:22Biopharmaceutical Factors Influencing Drug Product Design: Overview
222
Rational drug product design integrates knowledge of the drug’s physicochemical properties, formulation components, manufacturing techniques, and intended route of administration. Each factor influences the drug’s performance, including how it is released, absorbed, and eliminated in the body.The physicochemical properties of a drug—such as solubility, stability, and particle size—affect its compatibility with excipients and the choice of dosage form. Excipients, though...
222