Cell-derived biomimetic nanomedicines: Emerging theranostic platforms for precision management of atherosclerosis

Atherosclerosis (AS), driven by complex cellular interactions, remains a leading cause of mortality worldwide. Conventional therapies often lack diseased blood vessels specificity, limiting therapy efficacy while increasing off-target toxicity. Boasting the biological advantages of cell-derived camouflages, these biomimetic nanomedicines outperform traditional drugs in intraplaque accumulation, circulation half-life and anti-AS efficacy. Current cell-derived biomimetic nanomedicines include whole-cell carriers, cell membrane-coated nanoparticles (NPs), and extracellular vesicles (EVs), all exploitable as novel platforms for plaque imaging and treatment. This review introduces the cellular mechanisms of AS pathology, examines recent advances in biomimetic strategies for AS theranostics and discusses the major barriers in clinical translation including biomaterial design, manufacturing consistency, safety evaluation, and large-scale production.