Nanomaterials Targeting Red Blood Cells: Implications for Drug Delivery and Biosensing
Zeljka Krpetic 1*, Andy Miah 1, Rosa Arrigo 1
Biosensors and Nanotheranostics 4(1) 1-8 https://doi.org/10.25163/biosensors.4110012
Submitted: 14 February 2025 Revised: 13 April 2025 Published: 16 April 2025
Abstract
Conventional drug delivery methods often result in systemic distribution of active agents, leading to unintended effects on healthy tissues and a reduced drug half-life in circulation. Carrier-based drug delivery systems present a promising alternative by enabling targeted drug release to diseased areas, thus enhancing therapeutic efficacy while minimizing side effects. Red blood cells (RBCs) offer unique advantages as drug carriers due to their biocompatibility, biodegradability, and extended circulation time. This potential is further enhanced by the use of RBC-derived vesicles, or “ghosts,” which support autologous treatments by reducing the volume of erythrocytes required (Chen, 2017; Chertok et al., 2013; Sun et al., 2015; Muzykantov, 2010). This study investigates the encapsulation of therapeutic payloads into RBC ghosts mediated by pseudopeptidic polymers PP50 and PLP-NDA, which enable reversible permeabilization of the erythrocyte membrane. The process involves producing nanoerythrosomes small vesicles derived from drug-loaded RBC ghosts—via sonication and extrusion. Following encapsulation, the drug carriers are purified using dialysis and size-exclusion chromatography for enhanced efficiency (Lynch et al., 2010; Gupta et al., 2014). Fluorescein isothiocyanate-dextran (FITC-dextran) of 70 and 150 kDa was successfully encapsulated into RBC ghosts using PP50. Although PLP-NDA exhibited limitations due to aggregation at certain pH levels, PP50 demonstrated effective payload delivery. Loaded nanoerythrosomes with a hydrodynamic diameter of approximately 150 nm were obtained, and size-exclusion chromatography emerged as a suitable, time-efficient alternative to dialysis for purification. This work highlights the potential of RBC-based drug delivery systems in achieving controlled, targeted therapeutic interventions.
Keywords: Red blood cells (RBCs), Drug delivery systems, Nanoerythrosomes, Pseudopeptidic polymers, Size-exclusion chromatography
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