Cancer Cells derived Biomimetic NanoBiosome as Targeted Theranostics

Tiny medicines for safe impact in health care

Biomimetic NanoBiosome, developed by Dr. Rajendra Prasad, is an innovative technology that enables the targeted theranostics for solid tumors. Cancer cells are utilized to make NanoBiosome. First, all interior components including cell organelles are removed from cancer cells, followed by a biochemical process. Second, these ghost cells are cut down to nanoscale and then integrated with diagnostics and therapeutics agents. The laboratory designed nanoscale theranostics systems are like a “magic bullet” in hands for targeted imaging and therapeutics of solid tumors in combination. The ghost cavity of these biosomes can be loaded with various/or multiple imaging and therapeutics probes. In his recent research (Rajendra Prasad, et al., Journal of Controlled Release, 2024, 367, 300-315; doi.org/10.1016/j.jconrel.2024.01.056), he and his collaborative team have demonstrated a unique approach for solid tumor theranostics and metastasis monitoring in pre-clinical tumor models. The developed innovative theranostics system offers solutions for selective targeting of cancerous cells and killing them efficiently without damaging surrounding healthy tissues. The engineered nanotheranostics medicines are significantly effective for early-stage diagnosis and treatment of tumors even at minimum dose and time. So, basically, the cancer cells are engineered and integrated with theranostics agents in the laboratory and then injected back to the tumor models. The injected delivery systems reach the solid tumor via blood circulation and make their entry through the gap in blood vessels within the solid tumor and release their loaded cargo on the localized site.  

How do you see biomimetic medicines in translational research?

Dr. Rajendra is a young faculty and dynamic researcher at the Indian Institute of Technology (BHU) Varanasi, who has conceptualized the idea of utilizing cancer cells for solid tumor theranostics and their interventions. He has been working in the area of cancer nanomedicine and understanding their solid tumor entry-exit route. To the best of Rajendra’s knowledge, most of the chemically designed nanoparticles are taken up by the immune system which is trained to excrete and quickly clear these foreign particles from the body. Further, he has mentioned that these chemically designed nanoparticles face various cellular and tissular barriers exhibiting low accumulation efficiency viz., less than 1 % (median) as reported in the literature. He has extended his discussion saying that functionalizing nanoparticles with polyethylene glycol (PEG) is a well-established approach which prevents opsonization during blood circulation. Hence, PEGylated nanoparticles are easily able to escape the uptake by phagocytic cells due to steric hindrance on the nanoparticle’s surface which hamper the opsonin adsorption. However, there are some immune-compatibility concerns of PEG. To overcome such issues, cell membrane coating concept has been proposed but this is limited with low cargo capacity and reproducibility. In his research, he has discussed the importance of cancer cells where cancer cells are inactive (they cannot grow and multiply now) when they are without their organelles. The inactive empty cells can easily evade the body’s immune system when they are within the nanoscale, but integrating these biochemically treated tiny empty cancer cells with imaging and therapeutic agents is a bit tricky, he explains. Overall, inherent membrane biomarkers and biomimetic abilities help these tiny theranostics systems evade immune cells and reach them to the target site without damaging surrounding healthy ones. Based on FDA approved nanomedicines, Rajendra believes that such biomimetic medicine also has clinical relevance and acceptance if scalability and reproducibility are resolved.