Vesicle-based artificial cells: recent developments and prospects for drug delivery

摘要

Over evolutionary history cells have devel-oped a range of features which are now considered essential for life, including replication, compartmentalization, metabolism, movement, communication and environmental sensing and subsequent response. Recent technological developments have meant that these features have started to find their way into artificially constructed, non-biological structures. These are commonly known as artificial cells, but are also referred to in the literature as protocells, minimal cells or synthetic cells. Usually constructed from the bottom up, artificial cells often hijack biological machinery (DNA, enzymes, protein pores) - either natural or engineered - to perform designated functions. Beyond simple scientific curiosity the major driving principle behind research in this area aims to address the following question: can we mimic and harness the power of biology to create new classes of smart micromachines that can be engineered for functional purposes?