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Abstract Biological neutralization represents a general strategy that deploys therapeutic agents to bind with harmful molecules or infectious pathogens, block their bioactivity, and thus prevent them from causing the diseases. Here, a comprehensive review of using cell‐membrane‐coated nanoparticles, namely “cellular nanosponges,” as host decoys for a wide range of biological neutralization applications is provided. Compared to traditional neutralization strategies, the cellular nanosponges stand out by mimicking susceptible host cells rather than accommodating the structures of the causative agents for the design of therapeutics. As all pathological agents must interact with host cells for bioactivity, nanosponges bypass the diversity of these agents and create function‐driven and broad‐spectrum neutralization solutions. The review focuses on the recent progress of using this new nanomedicine platform for neutralization against five primary pathological agents, including bacterial toxins, chemical toxicants, inflammatory cytokines, pathological antibodies, and viruses. Existing studies have established cellular nanosponges as versatile tools for biological neutralization. A thorough review of the cellular nanosponge technology is expected to inspire more refined cellular nanosponge designs and unique neutralization applications to address unsolved medical problems.
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Perspectives on Principles of Cellular Behavior from the Biophysics of Protists
Synopsis Cells are the fundamental unit of biological organization. Although it may be easy to think of them as little more than the simple building blocks of complex organisms such as animals, single cells are capable of behaviors of remarkable apparent sophistication. This is abundantly clear when considering the diversity of form and function among the microbial eukaryotes, the protists. How might we navigate this diversity in the search for general principles of cellular behavior? Here, we review cases in which the intensive study of protists from the perspective of cellular biophysics has driven insight into broad biological questions of morphogenesis, navigation and motility, and decision making. We argue that applying such approaches to questions of evolutionary cell biology presents rich, emerging opportunities. Integrating and expanding biophysical studies across protist diversity, exploiting the unique characteristics of each organism, will enrich our understanding of general underlying principles.
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- Award ID(s):
- 2233770
- PAR ID:
- 10483066
- Publisher / Repository:
- Oxford University Press
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- Integrative And Comparative Biology
- Volume:
- 63
- Issue:
- 6
- ISSN:
- 1540-7063
- Format(s):
- Medium: X Size: p. 1405-1421
- Size(s):
- p. 1405-1421
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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