Cancer Cell Membrane-Coated Nanoparticles For Personalized Therapy In Patient-Derived Xenograft Models

Cell membrane coating nanotechnology, which endows nanoparticles with unique properties, displays excellent translational potential in cancer diagnosis and therapy. However, the preparation and evaluation of these cell membrane-coated nanoparticles are based on cell lines and cell-line-based xenograft mouse models. The feasibility of cell membrane-camouflaged nanomaterials is tested in a preclinical setting. Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) patient-derived tumor cell (PDTC) membranes are coated onto gelatin nanoparticles (GNPs) and the resulting PDTC@GNPs show efficient targeting to homotypic tumor cells and tissues in patient-derived xenograft (PDX) models. When the donor-derived cell membrane of PDTC@GNPs matched those of the host cells, significant targeting capability is observed. In contrast, mismatch between the donor and host results in weak targeting. Furthermore, it is demonstrated that autologous separation and administration of cellular membranes and anticancer cisplatin (Pt)-loaded PDTC@GNPs, respectively, lead to almost complete tumor ablation in a subcutaneous model and effectively inhibit tumor recurrence in a postsurgery model. The work presented here reinforces the translation of these biomimetic nanoparticles for clinical applications and offers a simple, safe, and effective strategy for personalized cancer treatment.