Cancer cell membranes, tumor extracellular vesicles, and subcellular organelle targeting as promising biomimetic drug delivery systems

Abstract

Conventional chemotherapy suffers from severe off-target toxicity and suboptimal efficacy. This review systematically summaries cancer cell membranes (CCMs), tumor extracellular vesicles (TEVs), and subcellular organelle targeting as biomimetic advanced drug delivery systems (ADDS) for precision cancer therapy. CCMs exhibit unique homotypic targeting, immune evasion, and enhanced tumor accumulation, while hybrid membrane systems further improve circulation and targeting specificity. TEVs, particularly exosomes, offer naturally occurring nanoscale carriers with inherent biocompatibility and intercellular communication capabilities. We critically compare the lipid and protein compositions between CCMs and TEVs, and explore emerging applications in metastasis inhibition, multidrug resistance reversal, and antitumor immunity. Beyond membrane-based strategies, we investigate mitochondria, Golgi apparatus, endoplasmic reticulum, and nucleus targeting for precise intracellular drug delivery. The review identifies critical gaps in standardized isolation protocols and lipid-mediated recognition mechanisms, proposing that hybrid systems integrating CCMs, TEVs, and organelle-targeting moieties represent the future direction for translating precision nanomedicine from bench to bedside.