# Biomimetic Cell Membrane-coated Nanovaccines in Anti-tumor Immunotherapy

**Authors:** Yizhang Chen, Weiyue Zhang, Xin Huang

PMC · DOI: 10.7150/thno.128136 · 2026-03-03

## TL;DR

This paper explores biomimetic nanovaccines that mimic pathogens to enhance cancer immunotherapy by improving immune activation and delivery.

## Contribution

The study introduces a comprehensive evaluation of biomimetic nanovaccines with cell membrane coatings and their combination with cancer treatments.

## Key findings

- Biomimetic nanovaccines improve antigen presentation and immune activation.
- Cell membrane coatings from tumor or immune cells enhance targeted delivery.
- Combining nanovaccines with therapies like chemotherapy boosts anti-tumor effects.

## Abstract

Biomimetic nanovaccines have recently emerged as a frontier in vaccine development. These nanovaccines are designed to structurally and morphologically mimic natural pathogens, including bacteria, viruses, and certain eukaryotic cells. Engineered to replicate pathogenic surface characteristics, these nanoplatforms improve targeted delivery to antigen-presenting cells (APCs) and prolong systemic circulation, which in turn enhances antigen presentation and promotes stronger adaptive immune activation. The preparation process for biomimetic nanovaccines is also highlighted, involving isolating and purifying source cell membrane, encapsulation of synthetic nanoparticle core, and verifying. Additionally, this study offers a thorough evaluation of various biomimetic nanovaccines, particularly those with cell membrane coatings derived from tumor cells, immune cells, or bacteria. Furthermore, we also assess their capabilities when combined with common treatment modalities, including immune checkpoint inhibitors, chemotherapy, and photothermal therapy, to achieve anti-tumor effects. The study also discusses the path to clinical translation and existing challenges in manufacturing, safety, and regulatory approval.

## Linked entities

- **Diseases:** cancer (MONDO:0004992)

## Full-text entities

- **Genes:** HAO1 (hydroxyacid oxidase 1) [NCBI Gene 54363] {aka GO, GOX, GOX1, HAOX1}, TLR7 (toll like receptor 7) [NCBI Gene 51284] {aka IMD74, SLEB17, TLR7-like}, Fgf2 (fibroblast growth factor 2) [NCBI Gene 14173] {aka Fgf-2, Fgf2a, Fgfb, bFGF}, SIRPA (signal regulatory protein alpha) [NCBI Gene 140885] {aka BIT, CD172A, MFR, MYD-1, MYD1, P84}, IFNG (interferon gamma) [NCBI Gene 3458] {aka IFG, IFI, IMD69}, STING1 (stimulator of interferon response cGAMP interactor 1) [NCBI Gene 340061] {aka ERIS, MITA, MPYS, NET23, SAVI, STING}, CD40LG (CD40 ligand) [NCBI Gene 959] {aka CD154, CD40L, HIGM1, IGM, IMD3, T-BAM}, CALCR (calcitonin receptor) [NCBI Gene 799] {aka CRT, CT-R, CTR, CTR1}, CD80 (CD80 molecule) [NCBI Gene 941] {aka B7, B7-1, B7.1, BB1, CD28LG, CD28LG1}, TRAF3 (TNF receptor associated factor 3) [NCBI Gene 7187] {aka CAP-1, CD40bp, CRAF1, IIAE5, IMD132A, IMD132B}, CD274 (CD274 molecule) [NCBI Gene 29126] {aka ADMIO5, B7-H, B7H1, PD-L1, PDCD1L1, PDCD1LG1}, ICAM1 (intercellular adhesion molecule 1) [NCBI Gene 3383] {aka BB2, CD54, P3.58}, CXCR4 (C-X-C motif chemokine receptor 4) [NCBI Gene 7852] {aka CD184, D2S201E, FB22, HM89, HSY3RR, LCR1}, CD47 (CD47 molecule) [NCBI Gene 961] {aka IAP, MER6, OA3}, IL2 (interleukin 2) [NCBI Gene 3558] {aka IL-2, TCGF, lymphokine}, CXADRP1 (CXADR pseudogene 1) [NCBI Gene 653108] {aka CAR, CXADRP}, CD46 (CD46 molecule) [NCBI Gene 4179] {aka AHUS2, MCP, MIC10, TLX, TRA2.10}, TLR3 (toll like receptor 3) [NCBI Gene 7098] {aka CD283, IIAE2, IMD83}, CD27 (CD27 molecule) [NCBI Gene 939] {aka S152, S152. LPFS2, T14, TNFRSF7, Tp55}, ERBB2 (erb-b2 receptor tyrosine kinase 2) [NCBI Gene 2064] {aka CD340, HER-2, HER-2/neu, HER2, MLN 19, MLN-19}, CR1 (complement C3b/C4b receptor 1 (Knops blood group)) [NCBI Gene 1378] {aka C3BR, C4BR, CD35, KN}, S (surface glycoprotein) [NCBI Gene 43740568] {aka spike glycoprotein}, IL12B (interleukin 12B) [NCBI Gene 3593] {aka CLMF, CLMF2, IL-12B, IMD28, IMD29, NKSF}, CD4 (CD4 molecule) [NCBI Gene 920] {aka CD4mut, IMD79, Leu-3, OKT4D, T4}, NFKB1 (nuclear factor kappa B subunit 1) [NCBI Gene 4790] {aka CVID12, EBP-1, KBF1, NF-kB, NF-kB1, NF-kappa-B1}, Ptpn2 (protein tyrosine phosphatase, non-receptor type 2) [NCBI Gene 19255] {aka Ptpt, TC-PTP}, CD28 (CD28 molecule) [NCBI Gene 940] {aka IMD123, Tp44}, Tlr9 (toll-like receptor 9) [NCBI Gene 81897], Il10 (interleukin 10) [NCBI Gene 16153] {aka CSIF, If2a, Il-10}, CGAS (cyclic GMP-AMP synthase) [NCBI Gene 115004] {aka C6orf150, D4, MB21D1, h-cGAS}, HAVCR2 (hepatitis A virus cellular receptor 2) [NCBI Gene 84868] {aka CD366, HAVcr-2, KIM-3, SPTCL, TIM3, TIMD-3}, TBK1 (TANK binding kinase 1) [NCBI Gene 29110] {aka AIARV, FTDALS4, IIAE8, NAK, T2K}, PSMA7 (proteasome 20S subunit alpha 7) [NCBI Gene 5688] {aka C6, HEL-S-276, HSPC, RC6-1, XAPC7}, CD40 (CD40 molecule) [NCBI Gene 958] {aka Bp50, CDW40, TNFRSF5, p50}, PDCD1 (programmed cell death 1) [NCBI Gene 5133] {aka ADMIO4, AIMTBS, CD279, PD-1, PD1, SLEB2}, LY75 (lymphocyte antigen 75) [NCBI Gene 4065] {aka CD205, CLEC13B, DEC-205, GP200-MR6, LY-75}, CD59 (CD59 molecule (CD59 blood group)) [NCBI Gene 966] {aka 16.3A5, 1F5, EJ16, EJ30, EL32, G344}, LYZ (lysozyme) [NCBI Gene 4069] {aka AMYLD5, LYZF1, LZM}, IRF3 (interferon regulatory factor 3) [NCBI Gene 3661] {aka IIAE7}, TNF (tumor necrosis factor) [NCBI Gene 7124] {aka DIF, IMD127, TNF-alpha, TNFA, TNFSF2, TNLG1F}, CTLA4 (cytotoxic T-lymphocyte associated protein 4) [NCBI Gene 1493] {aka ALPS5, CD, CD152, CELIAC3, CTLA-4, GRD4}, CD86 (CD86 molecule) [NCBI Gene 942] {aka B7-2, B7.2, B70, BU63, CD28LG2, CD86 v6}, TLR4 (toll like receptor 4) [NCBI Gene 7099] {aka ARMD10, CD284, TLR-4, TOLL}, CD44 (CD44 molecule (IN blood group)) [NCBI Gene 960] {aka CDW44, CSPG8, ECM-III, ECMR-III, H-CAM, HCELL}, CLEC9A (C-type lectin domain containing 9A) [NCBI Gene 283420] {aka CD370, DNGR-1, DNGR1, UNQ9341}, CCR7 (C-C motif chemokine receptor 7) [NCBI Gene 1236] {aka BLR2, CC-CKR-7, CCR-7, CD197, CDw197, CMKBR7}, CCR2 (C-C motif chemokine receptor 2) [NCBI Gene 729230] {aka CC-CKR-2, CCR-2, CCR2A, CCR2B, CD192, CKR2}, CD55 (CD55 molecule (Cromer blood group)) [NCBI Gene 1604] {aka CHAPLE, CR, CROM, DAF, TC}, CD70 (CD70 molecule) [NCBI Gene 970] {aka CD27-L, CD27L, CD27LG, LPFS3, TNFSF7, TNLG8A}
- **Diseases:** liver tumor (MESH:D008113), hypoxia (MESH:D000860), hemophilia (MESH:D006467), brain tumor (MESH:D001932), colon carcinoma (MESH:D003110), GBM (MESH:D005909), inherited immune deficiencies (MESH:D000081207), hematological malignancies (MESH:D019337), HCC (MESH:D006528), inherited and acquired human (MESH:D030342), Lewis lung tumor (MESH:D018827), breast cancer (MESH:D001943), triple negative breast tumor (MESH:D064726), autoimmune toxicity (MESH:D001327), mammary tumor (MESH:D015674), CRS (MESH:D000080424), ICD (OMIM:252500), toxicity (MESH:D064420), Tumors (MESH:D009369), lung carcinoma (MESH:D008175), fibrosarcoma (MESH:D005354), leukemia (MESH:D007938), death (MESH:D003643), metastasis (MESH:D009362), melanoma (MESH:D008545), inflammatory (MESH:D007249), ophthalmic and neurodegenerative disorders (MESH:D019636)
- **Chemicals:** MPLA (MESH:C048436), HA (MESH:D006820), hemin (MESH:D006427), Zeb (MESH:C009131), Ce6 (MESH:C062985), IMQ (MESH:D000077271), TMP195 (MESH:C000621948), PLGA (MESH:D000077182), melanin (MESH:D008543), lipid (MESH:D008055), sucrose (MESH:D013395), CA (MESH:C012843), LPS (MESH:D008070), PFC (MESH:D005466), HMME (MESH:C494379), TD (MESH:C076628), zinc phosphate (MESH:C043952), captopril (MESH:D002216), pembrolizumab (MESH:C582435), ferrocene (MESH:C004998), CpG (MESH:C015772), polysaccharides (MESH:D011134), CO (MESH:D002248), Fc (MESH:C095424), DOX (MESH:D004317), silica (MESH:D012822), Prussian blue (MESH:C000170), Mannose (MESH:D008358), EPI (MESH:D015251), CpG oligodeoxynucleotide 1826 (-), cisplatin (MESH:D002945)
- **Species:** Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (no rank) [taxon 2697049], Fusobacterium nucleatum (species) [taxon 851], Homo sapiens (human, species) [taxon 9606], Mycobacterium tuberculosis variant bovis BCG (no rank) [taxon 33892], Bacteria Latreille et al. 1825 (Bacteria stick insect, genus) [taxon 629395], Mus musculus (house mouse, species) [taxon 10090], Bacillus sp. CG (species) [taxon 1196795]
- **Mutations:** K641E
- **Cell lines:** HeLa — Homo sapiens (Human), Human papillomavirus-related endocervical adenocarcinoma, Cancer cell line (CVCL_0030), H22 — Homo sapiens (Human), Peripheral primitive neuroectodermal tumor of bone, Cancer cell line (CVCL_1E32), MC38 — Mus musculus (Mouse), Mouse colon adenocarcinoma, Cancer cell line (CVCL_B288), B16-F10 — Mus musculus (Mouse), Mouse melanoma, Cancer cell line (CVCL_0159), TEX — Homo sapiens (Human), Transformed cell line (CVCL_A5CF), Jurkat T — Homo sapiens (Human), Childhood T acute lymphoblastic leukemia, Cancer cell line (CVCL_0065), 4T1 — Mus musculus (Mouse), Malignant neoplasms of the mouse mammary gland, Cancer cell line (CVCL_0125)

## Figures

6 figures with captions in the complete paper: https://tomesphere.com/paper/PMC12964379/full.md

---
Source: https://tomesphere.com/paper/PMC12964379