Studies of nanoparticle delivery with in vitro bio-engineered microtissues

Abstract

A variety of engineered nanoparticles, including lipid nanoparticles, polymer nanoparticles, gold nanoparticles, and biomimetic nanoparticles, have been studied as delivery vehicles for biomedical applications. When assessing the efficacy of a nanoparticle-based delivery system, in vitro testing with a model delivery system is crucial because it allows for real-time, in situ quantitative transport analysis, which is often difficult with in vivo animal models. The advent of tissue engineering has offered methods to create experimental models that can closely mimic the 3D microenvironment in the human body.

This review paper overviews the types of nanoparticle vehicles, their application areas, and the design strategies to improve delivery efficiency, followed by the uses of engineered microtissues and methods of analysis. In particular, this review highlights studies on multicellular spheroids and other 3D tissue engineering approaches for cancer drug development. The use of bio-engineered tissues can potentially provide low-cost, high-throughput, and quantitative experimental platforms for the development of nanoparticle-based delivery systems.

Graphical abstract

Highlights

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  This paper overviews the designs, analyses, and applications of various nanoparticles studied for drug delivery.

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  The emphasis is on in vitro engineered tissue models used for the evaluation of nanoparticle transport.

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  The in vitro models allow for in situ quantitative transport analysis, which is often difficult with in vivo models.

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  Tissue mechanical characteristics and structural heterogeneity are emerging topics for the study of nanoparticle delivery.