Rapid functionalisation of cell membrane-coated nanoparticles using a modular approach

Summary

Cell membrane-coated nanoparticles (CNPs) combine natural cell membranes with synthetic cores for drug delivery, but functionalizing them with different ligands typically requires re-engineering the source cells. This commentary describes a modular approach where source cells are genetically engineered to display SpyCatcher, enabling rapid covalent attachment of any SpyTag-labelled ligand. The resulting CNPs targeted cancer markers in vitro and in a murine tumor model, delivering docetaxel to slow tumor growth and extend survival. This modular strategy simplifies CNP functionalization, accelerates ligand screening, and enables on-demand formulation.