Bioinspired “Active” Stealth Magneto-Nanomicelles for Theranostics Combining Efficient MRI and Enhanced Drug Delivery

The mononuclear phagocyte system (MPS) with key roles in recognition and clearance of foreign particles, is a major constraint to nanoparticle-based delivery systems. The desire to improve the delivery efficiency has prompted the search for stealthy long-circulating nanoplatforms. Herein, we design an antiphagocytic delivery system with “active” stealth behavior for cancer theranostics combining efficient MRI and enhanced drug delivery. We modify self-peptide, a synthetic peptide for active immunomodulation, to biodegradable poly(lactide-glycolide)–poly(ethylene glycol) (PLGA–PEG), then utilize the self-assembly properties of PLGA–PEG to form nanomicelles that encapsulating iron oxide (IO) nanoparticles and anticancer drug paclitaxel (PTX). Through the interaction of self-peptide with the receptor SIRPα, which is expressed on phagocytes, the as-prepared nanomicelles can disguise as “self” to avoid being recognized as foreign particles by MPS, leading to improved blood circulation time and delivery efficie...