Smart active-targeting of lipid-polymer hybrid nanoparticles for therapeutic applications: Recent advances and challenges

The advances in producing multifunctional lipid-polymer hybrid nanoparticles (LPHNs) by combining the biomimetic behavior of liposomes and architectural advantages of polymers have provided great opportunities for selective and efficient therapeutics delivery. The constructed LPHNs exhibit different therapeutic efficacies for special uses based on characteristics of different excipients. However, the high mechanical/structural stability of hybrid nano-systems could be viewed as both a negative property and a positive feature, where the concomitant release of drug molecules in a controllable manner is required. In addition, difficulties in scaling up the LPHNs production, due to involvement of several criteria, limit their application for biomedical fields, especially in monitoring, bioimaging, and drug delivery. To address these challenges bio-modifications have exhibited enormous potential to prepare reproducible LPHNs for site-specific therapeutics delivery, diagnostic and preventative applications. The ever-growing surface bio-functionality has provided continuous vitality to this biotechnology and has also posed desirable biosafety to nanoparticles (NPs). As a proof-of-concept, this manuscript provides a crucial review of coated lipid and polymer NPs displaying excellent surface functionality and architectural advantages. We also provide a description of structural classifications and production methodologies, as well as the biomedical possibilities and translational obstacles in the development of surface modified nanocarrier technology.