Biomimetic Nanoparticles for Precision Targeting of Cancer Stem Cells and Tumor Recurrence

Abstract

Tumor recurrence and therapeutic resistance remain major obstacles in effective cancer management, largely driven by a small but highly resilient subpopulation of cells known as cancer stem cells (CSCs). These cells possess self-renewal capacity, multipotency, and heightened resistance to chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and immunotherapy, enabling tumor regrowth and metastasis even after apparent clinical remission. Conventional anticancer strategies often fail to eradicate CSCs due to poor targeting specificity, systemic toxicity, and an inability to overcome the protective tumor microenvironment. Biomimetic nanoparticles have emerged as a promising precision nanomedicine strategy to address these limitations by emulating natural biological structures such as cell membranes, lipoproteins, exosomes, and extracellular matrix components. By inheriting biological functionalities including immune evasion, homotypic targeting, and receptor-specific interactions, biomimetic nanoparticles enable selective delivery of therapeutic payloads to CSC niches. This review comprehensively examines the biological basis of CSC-driven tumor recurrence, the design principles of biomimetic nanoparticles, and their application in selectively targeting CSCs. We discuss advances in membrane-coated, ligand-functionalized, and microenvironment-responsive biomimetic systems, highlight preclinical evidence of efficacy in preventing tumor relapse, and analyze translational challenges. Collectively, biomimetic nanoparticles represent a powerful platform for durable cancer control through precise CSC targeting. Keywords: cancer stem cells; biomimetic nanoparticles; tumor recurrence; precision nanomedicine; targeted drug delivery.