Cell membrane-coated nanocarriers: the emerging targeted delivery system for cancer theranostics

Cancer is a leading cause of death worldwide. The use of nanocarriers (NCs) has generated significant interest to improve cancer therapy by targeted delivery. However, conventional NCs in general lack specificity and have poor biodistribution, resulting in low efficacy in cancer therapy. To circumvent this problem, there has been an increasing focus on cancer cell membrane-coated NCs (CCMCNCs), which can deliver therapeutics directly to tumor cells. CCMCNCs comprise active cancer cell surface adhesive molecules combined with other functional proteins, and offer extended blood circulation with robust cell-specific targeting, ensuring enhanced intratumoral penetration and higher tumor-specific accumulation of NCs. In this review, we discuss the preparation, homologous targeting mechanisms, and application of CCMCNCs in targeted cancer therapy.