Bioinspired nanocarriers for advanced drug delivery

Abstract Bioinspired nanocarriersare emerging as transformative tools in drug delivery, leveraging natural biological structures and functions to overcome critical limitations of conventional therapeutic systems. This review critically examines three leading approaches, e.g., cell membrane-coated nanoparticles (CMNPs), exosome-mimicking nanocarriers (EMNCs), and peptide-functionalized nanocarriers, highlighting their design principles, functionalization strategies, and biomedical applications. By systematically analyzing recent advances, we identify common advantages such as improved pharmacokinetics, enhanced targeting specificity, and increased biocompatibility, as well as persistent challenges including rapid clearance, non-specific biodistribution, and suboptimal intracellular delivery. Comparative evaluation reveals that CMNPs excel in immune evasion and circulation time, EMNCs show superior performance in crossing complex biological barriers such as the blood–brain barrier, and peptide-functionalized systems offer enhanced selective accumulation and intracellular delivery of therapeutic agents. We further outline key translational hurdles, including scaling up production, ensuring batch-to-batch consistency, meeting regulatory standards, and long-term stability. Overall, this review provides a framework for integrating biomimetic strategies into next-generation nanomedicine, offering guidance for the rational design of safer, and clinically translatable personalized drug delivery systems.