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Pharmaceutics
Special Issues
Cell-Mediated Delivery Systems
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Cell-Mediated Delivery Systems

A special issue of Pharmaceutics (ISSN 1999-4923). This special issue belongs to the section "Gene and Cell Therapy".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 December 2025 | Viewed by 1674

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Monia Taranta

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Institute of Clinical Physiology (IFC), National Research Council of Italy (CNR), Via Fiorentina 1, 53100 Siena, Italy
Interests: epigenetics; drug delivery; MAPKs signaling; cancer
Dr. Lisa Gherardini

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Institute of Clinical Physiology (IFC), National Research Council of Italy (CNR), Via Fiorentina 1, 53100 Siena, Italy
Interests: neuroscience; drug delivery; cancer; preclinical studies

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Developing novel therapeutics to combat diseases remains a major challenge. However, the systemic administration of drugs is often associated with several limitations, including poor bioavailability and a lack of target specificity. These factors typically require the use of higher dosages, which can lead to adverse side effects. The development of drug delivery systems enabling precise targeting and enhancing drug safety and efficacy is essential in overcoming these issues. In this regard, cell-based drug carriers are the ideal tools, due to their biocompatibility, low immunogenicity, prolonged circulation, and ability to reach virtually any body region. Moreover, they can be engineered to enable precise targeting.

This Special Issue will showcase the latest advancements in cell-based drug delivery systems and promote their further development. We encourage researchers to contribute by submitting original articles or reviews, to drive further progress in this important research field.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Monia Taranta
Dr. Lisa Gherardini
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Pharmaceutics is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2900 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • cell-targeted drug delivery
  • cell-mediated drug transport
  • targeted therapy
  • cellular uptake
  • nanocarriers for drug delivery

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

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27 pages, 6602 KiB  
Article
Extracellular Vesicle-Mediated Delivery of AntimiR-Conjugated Bio-Gold Nanoparticles for In Vivo Tumor Targeting
by Parastoo Pourali, Eva Neuhöferová, Behrooz Yahyaei, Milan Svoboda, Adéla Buchnarová and Veronika Benson
Pharmaceutics 2025, 17(8), 1015; https://doi.org/10.3390/pharmaceutics17081015 - 5 Aug 2025
Abstract
Background/Objectives: Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are involved in cell-to-cell communication and delivery of signaling molecules and represent an interesting approach in targeted therapy. This project focused on EV-mediated facilitation and cell-specific delivery of effector antimiR molecules carried by biologically produced gold nanoparticles (AuNPs). Methods: [...] Read more.
Background/Objectives: Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are involved in cell-to-cell communication and delivery of signaling molecules and represent an interesting approach in targeted therapy. This project focused on EV-mediated facilitation and cell-specific delivery of effector antimiR molecules carried by biologically produced gold nanoparticles (AuNPs). Methods: First, we loaded EVs derived from cancer cells 4T1 with AuNPs-antimiR. The AuNPs were also decorated with or without transferrin (Tf) molecules. We examined parental cell-specific delivery of the AuNPs-Tf-antimiR within monocultures as well as co-cultures in vitro. Subsequently, we used autologous EVs containing AuNPs-Tf-antimiR to target tumor cells in a xenograft tumor model in vivo. Efficacy of the antimir transfer was assessed by qPCR and apoptosis assessment. Results: In vitro, EVs loaded with AuNPs-antimiR were internalized only by the parental cells and the AuNPs-antimiR transfer was successful and effective only in EVs that were decorated with Tf. We achieved effective delivery of the antimiR molecule into cancer cells in vivo, which was proved by specific silencing of the target oncogenic miRNA as well as induction of cancer cells apoptosis. Conclusions: EVs represent an interesting and potent way for targeted cargo delivery and personalized medicine. On the other hand, there are various safety and efficacy challenges that remain to be addressed. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Cell-Mediated Delivery Systems)
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13 pages, 2087 KiB  
Article
Liposome-Loaded Mesenchymal Stem Cells Enhance Tumor Accumulation and Anti-Tumor Efficacy of Doxorubicin in Mouse Tumor Models of Melanoma
by Yusuke Kono, Himi Kanbara, Saki Danjo, Aiga Yoshikawa, Yoshihiro Iwayama and Ken-ichi Ogawara
Pharmaceutics 2025, 17(8), 947; https://doi.org/10.3390/pharmaceutics17080947 - 22 Jul 2025
Viewed by 323
Abstract
Background: Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) possess an intrinsic tumor-tropic ability, and therefore, MSCs may potentially be used as biomimetic carriers for active drug delivery systems targeting tumors. We previously developed a method to efficiently load liposomes onto the surface of MSCs via [...] Read more.
Background: Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) possess an intrinsic tumor-tropic ability, and therefore, MSCs may potentially be used as biomimetic carriers for active drug delivery systems targeting tumors. We previously developed a method to efficiently load liposomes onto the surface of MSCs via electrostatic interactions. The prepared liposome-loaded MSCs (Lip-MSCs) spontaneously accumulated in solid melanoma tumors with low vascular permeability while stably carrying liposomes. Methods: To explore Lip-MSC applications in cancer chemotherapy, doxorubicin (DOX)-encapsulated liposomes (DOX-Lip) were prepared and loaded onto MSCs. The cell viability, DOX-releasing properties, tumor-homing capacity, and anti-tumor efficacy of DOX-Lip-MSCs were analyzed. Results: Small liposomes (100 nm) retained DOX, whereas significant leakage of DOX was observed from 600 nm-sized liposomes. Based on this result, we used 100 nm DOX-Lip for the preparation of DOX-Lip-MSCs. Compared with MSCs loaded with DOX by incubation with DOX solution, DOX-Lip-MSCs could load a larger amount of DOX with minimal cytotoxicity. DOX-Lip-MSCs also showed sustained DOX release. DOX-Lip-MSCs efficiently migrated toward the conditioned medium of B16/BL6 melanoma cells in vitro and accumulated in B16/BL6 tumors in vivo, leading to a significant inhibitory effect on tumor growth. Conclusions: Lip-MSCs can serve as an efficient carrier to deliver anti-cancer drugs into solid tumors. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Cell-Mediated Delivery Systems)
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Review

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26 pages, 2176 KiB  
Review
Extracellular Vesicles as Precision Delivery Systems for Biopharmaceuticals: Innovations, Challenges, and Therapeutic Potential
by Sidhesh Mohak and Zsolt Fabian
Pharmaceutics 2025, 17(5), 641; https://doi.org/10.3390/pharmaceutics17050641 - 12 May 2025
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 912
Abstract
Unlike traditional small-molecule agents, biopharmaceuticals, like synthetic RNAs, enzymes, and monoclonal antibodies, are highly vulnerable to environmental conditions. Preservation of their functional integrity necessitates advanced delivery methods. Being biocompatible, extracellular vesicles (EVs) gained attention as a promising system for delivering biopharmaceuticals, addressing challenges [...] Read more.
Unlike traditional small-molecule agents, biopharmaceuticals, like synthetic RNAs, enzymes, and monoclonal antibodies, are highly vulnerable to environmental conditions. Preservation of their functional integrity necessitates advanced delivery methods. Being biocompatible, extracellular vesicles (EVs) gained attention as a promising system for delivering biopharmaceuticals, addressing challenges related to the stability and efficacy of sensitive therapeutic molecules. Indeed, EVs can cross biological barriers like the blood–brain barrier, delivering therapeutic cargo to tissues that are traditionally difficult to reach. Recent innovations in surface modification technologies, including ligand and antibody attachment, have further enhanced EVs’ targeting capabilities, making them particularly effective in personalized medicine. Here, we review the versatile suitability of EVs for being next-generation delivery vehicles of biopharmaceuticals, including current standings, practical challenges, and possible future directions of the technology. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Cell-Mediated Delivery Systems)
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