Abstract
With the aim of overcoming the limitations of traditional nanoscale vectors for the delivery of therapeutic molecules, notably their reduced ability to cross biological barriers and their sometimes inadequate biocompatibility, growing interest has focused on the use of endogenous circulating particles (e.g. cells, cell-derived vesicles or lipoproteins) as a promising alternative.
These particles, with their natural biocompatibility and biodegradability, also have intrinsic targeting properties, enabling selective delivery of active molecules to pathological sites. Therapeutic molecules, whether in free form or encapsulated in synthetic nanoparticles, have been loaded into these endogenous particles, either in vitro after isolation from blood, or in vivo directly into the bloodstream via spontaneous interactions.
Exploiting the body's natural "shuttles" for therapeutic delivery is now an integral part of nanomedicine research. Although this strategy has mainly been developed for targeting neoplastic tissues, it offers significant potential in other medical fields, such as atherosclerosis or infectious diseases. In this seminar, I will review recent advances in this field.
Simona Mura
Simona Mura is Professor of Pharmaceutical Technology at Paris-Saclay University. She holds a degree in pharmacy from the University of Cagliari in Italy, and in 2009 obtained a PhD in drug chemistry and technology under the supervision of Professor A. M. Fadda. She then joined Professor E. Fattal's group at the Institut Galien, UMR CNRS 8612, Université Paris-Sud, where she studied the toxicity of biodegradable nanoparticles for pulmonary administration. In 2011, she was appointed Associate Professor at the same university as part of a Chair of Excellence, working in Professor P. Couvreur's team. A visiting professor at Osaka University in 2015, she joined the Institut Universitaire de France in 2017 as a junior member. She obtained her HDR in 2018 and became a full professor in 2022. Her research, located at the interface of chemistry, biology and physical chemistry, focuses on the design of biomimetic systems for the targeted delivery of active molecules. She also explores the behavior of nanomedicines in the complex biological environment of the human body, using 3D culture techniques, microfluidic technologies and advanced characterization methods.
