Inflammation is a defensive response that helps repair and restore damaged tissue by activating immune and nonimmune cells against pathogens. However, inflammation may cause chronic disease if it persists for a long time. Neutrophils recruit immediately to the lesion site and regulate the inflammatory process when inflammation occurs. Therefore, neutrophil-mediated therapy has been considered as a promising strategy for inflammatory diseases and has been extensively studied. In this review, we summarize the recent research progress of neutrophil-based personalized treatment strategies for inflammation. We also review the research progress of various neutrophil-mediated drug-delivery systems in combination with the inflammatory microenvironment.
Keywords: biomimetic nanoparticles; inflammation; neutrophil; neutrophil membranes; neutrophil-derived extracellular vesicle; therapeutic strategies.
Introduction: Neutrophils are the most abundant white blood cells in humans. When inflammation occurs, neutrophils bind to ligands on endothelial cells through a variety of specific receptors on their surfaces and migrate from the bone marrow to the site of inflammation across endothelial cells, meaning that they are able to recruit to the lesion site at the first opportunity and regulate the inflammatory process. Neutrophil-based therapeutic strategies and drug-delivery systems have been extensively studied in inflammatory diseases, as specific protein receptors are retained on the neutrophil membrane, which is considered a promising approach for inflammatory therapy. Areas covered: This work focuses on the various mechanisms of neutrophil-based therapeutic strategies and reviews the current types and advantages of neutrophil-mediated drug-delivery systems for the treatment of inflammatory disorders. Summary: Neutrophil-mediated drug-delivery systems have a wider range of disease applications, and neutrophil-based therapeutic strategies can be used to treat inflammation through different pathways. Our review of the literature suggests that neutrophil-targeted nanoparticles are one of the most promising strategies for the treatment of inflammation, as they promote drug accumulation at the site of inflammation and limit adverse events, while prolonging drug circulation in the blood and improving drug stability.