Metabolism-based artificial organelles: From precise construction to smart theranostics

Area of Science:

• Biotechnology and Synthetic Biology
• Cellular Metabolism
• Nanomedicine

Background:

• Cellular metabolic dysregulation drives major diseases, including cancer, neurodegenerative, and cardiovascular conditions.
• Conventional therapies face challenges like off-target effects, delivery issues, and lack of precision.
• Artificial organelles represent a novel approach for precise subcellular metabolic intervention.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically review advances in metabolism-based artificial organelles.
• To explore their construction strategies and theranostic applications.
• To provide a roadmap for next-generation metabolic intervention tools.

Main Methods:

• Review of lipid/protein self-assembly, microfluidics, 3D bioprinting, and biomembrane fusion for artificial organelle construction.
• Analysis of design principles for energy metabolism, biosynthesis, and redox homeostasis.
• Examination of disease-specific applications and theranostic strategies.

Main Results:

• Artificial organelles can mimic mitochondrial, ER, and peroxisomal functions.
• Strategies target energy metabolism, biosynthesis, and redox homeostasis for disease intervention.
• Applications demonstrated in neurodegenerative disorders, cancer, and cardiovascular diseases.

Conclusions:

• Artificial organelles offer a paradigm shift for metabolic system reconstruction.
• Challenges in biocompatibility, delivery, and clinical translation remain.
• Future directions include AI-driven design and artificial tissue integration for advanced therapies.