# Selective Membrane Protein Enrichment Enables Defined Biomimetic Nanoparticles for Endothelial Targeting

**Authors:** Sivan Arber Raviv, Rawan Mhajne, Maayan Ben‐Eliezer, Tamar Gross Lev, Assaf Zinger

PMC · DOI: 10.1002/smll.202513548 · Small (Weinheim an Der Bergstrasse, Germany) · 2026-01-12

## TL;DR

This paper introduces a new type of biomimetic nanoparticle with specific proteins that better target inflamed blood vessels for drug delivery.

## Contribution

A novel method to engineer nanoparticles with defined membrane proteins for improved targeting and reproducibility.

## Key findings

- PNPs with leukocyte adhesion proteins show enhanced endothelial interactions in a microfluidic model.
- Adhesion-enriched PNPs outperform conventional Leukosomes in accumulating at inflamed endothelium under flow.
- The platform offers better targeting efficiency and translational potential for inflammation-targeted therapies.

## Abstract

Nanoparticles offer a promising strategy for targeted drug delivery while reducing off‐target toxicity. Biomimetic nanoparticles, which integrate native cell components, enhance biological compatibility but often suffer from poorly defined protein compositions that hinder reproducibility and clinical translation. Here, we present a next‐generation biomimetic approach to engineer Particular Nanoparticles (PNPs)‐ formulation enriched with specific, functionally relevant membrane proteins for precise control and tunability. We incorporated leukocyte adhesion proteins (including CD18, CD11a, and CD11b) into the nanoparticle membrane to enhance targeting of inflamed sites. Using a 2D microfluidic model that mimics human blood vessels, adhesion‐enriched PNPs demonstrated significantly improved endothelial interactions and greater accumulation under flow at inflamed endothelium compared to conventional Leukosomes. This protein‐defined biomimetic nanoparticle platform offers enhanced targeting efficiency, improved reproducibility, and translational potential for inflammation‐targeted therapies.

Particular nanoparticles (PNPs), engineered with defined enrichment of leukocyte adhesion membrane proteins, demonstrate superior targeting of inflamed sites in a microfluidic inflamed vessel model under flow conditions. This selective membrane protein enrichment enhances targeting efficiency while improving nanoparticle production reproducibility and translational potential for inflammation‐targeted drug delivery.

## Linked entities

- **Proteins:** ITGB2 (integrin subunit beta 2), ITGAL (integrin subunit alpha L), ITGAM (integrin subunit alpha M)

## Full-text entities

- **Genes:** ITGAM (integrin subunit alpha M) [NCBI Gene 3684] {aka CD11B, CR3A, HNA-4, MAC-1, MAC1A, MO1A}, ITGAL (integrin subunit alpha L) [NCBI Gene 3683] {aka CD11A, EV6, HNA-5, LFA-1, LFA1A}, ITGB2 (integrin subunit beta 2) [NCBI Gene 3689] {aka CD18, LAD, LCAMB, LFA-1, MAC-1, MF17}
- **Diseases:** inflammation (MESH:D007249), toxicity (MESH:D064420)
- **Species:** Homo sapiens (human, species) [taxon 9606]

## Full text

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## Figures

6 figures with captions in the complete paper: https://tomesphere.com/paper/PMC12921465/full.md

## References

40 references — full list in the complete paper: https://tomesphere.com/paper/PMC12921465/full.md

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Source: https://tomesphere.com/paper/PMC12921465