Scientists have engineered dual-membrane nanoparticles that home in on heart tissue after a heart attack, delivering regenerative molecules while evading the body’s immune defences.
Myocardial infarction, better known as a heart attack, is a leading cause of death worldwide. After an injury like this, the heart struggles to regenerate to its previous health. Current treatments, while lifesaving, can rarely restore function or prevent harmful structural changes.
But new nanotechnology could provide an answer. By designing targeted, biomimetic drug carriers, scientists aim to overcome biological barriers, avoid rapid immune clearance, and deliver therapies directly to damaged tissue.
Building Biomimetic Nanoparticles
Published in Bioactive Materials, researchers have created stromal-platelet membrane-inspired nanoparticles (SPINs), combining a synthetic biodegradable core with natural cell membranes.
The core is made from poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA), a widely used polymer for drug delivery, which encapsulates concentrated secretomes derived from cardiac stromal cells. To create this core-like structure, the secretome was dissolved in an aqueous phase and trapped within PLGA via a solvent evaporation process.
The resulting nanoparticles were then characterized for size, charge, and integrity using techniques such as dynamic light scattering and electron microscopy.
For optimized targeting and immune protection, the nanoparticles are coated with membranes from stromal cells and platelets. These are processed through ultrasonication and extrusion, preserving surface proteins that help the particles attach to injured tissue and avoid immune detection.
Microscopy confirmed the formation of a uniform ~200-nanometre shell, while zeta potential measurements showed a shift towards a less negative charge, indicating an improved compatibility in the bloodstream.
Designed For Stability And Sustained Release
SPINs are built to last through storage, freeze-thaw cycles, and exposure to serum. The PLGA core steadily releases growth factors over up to two weeks, ensuring prolonged regenerative signalling rather than a short burst of activity.
Surface molecules from platelet membranes guide the particles to injured heart tissue, where they accumulate with far greater precision than uncoated or single-membrane designs. The dual coating also extends circulation time, increasing the chance of the therapy reaching its target.
Results In Preclinical Models
In vivo studies of the SPINs showed their strong preferential accumulation in the infarcted myocardium, with minimal off-target organ retention and a specificity that surpassed uncoated and single-membrane nanoparticles. Imaging confirmed that the membrane coatings remained intact in the body, preserving both targeting and immune-evasive properties.
By combining injury-site adhesion with controlled release of growth factors, the nanoparticles promoted tissue healing and regeneration, presenting a new possibility for post-myocardial infarction therapy.
Next Steps
The researchers say their work represents a step forward for regenerative nanomedicine, bringing together biomimicry, controlled delivery, and immune evasion in a single platform.
The next challenge will be to refine large-scale manufacturing and ensure the technology meets regulatory and safety requirements before it is tested on human patients.
Journal Reference
He M., et al. (2025). Stromal-platelet membrane-inspired nanoparticles (SPIN) for targeted heart repair. Bioactive Materials, 53, 45-57. DOI: 10.1016/j.bioactmat.2025.01.029, https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2452199X25002919
News
Nanomedicine in 2026: Experts Predict the Year Ahead
Progress in nanomedicine is almost as fast as the science is small. Over the last year, we've seen an abundance of headlines covering medical R&D at the nanoscale: polymer-coated nanoparticles targeting ovarian cancer, Albumin recruiting nanoparticles for [...]
Lipid nanoparticles could unlock access for millions of autoimmune patients
Capstan Therapeutics scientists demonstrate that lipid nanoparticles can engineer CAR T cells within the body without laboratory cell manufacturing and ex vivo expansion. The method using targeted lipid nanoparticles (tLNPs) is designed to deliver [...]
The Brain’s Strange Way of Computing Could Explain Consciousness
Consciousness may emerge not from code, but from the way living brains physically compute. Discussions about consciousness often stall between two deeply rooted viewpoints. One is computational functionalism, which holds that cognition can be [...]
First breathing ‘lung-on-chip’ developed using genetically identical cells
Researchers at the Francis Crick Institute and AlveoliX have developed the first human lung-on-chip model using stem cells taken from only one person. These chips simulate breathing motions and lung disease in an individual, [...]
Cell Membranes May Act Like Tiny Power Generators
Living cells may generate electricity through the natural motion of their membranes. These fast electrical signals could play a role in how cells communicate and sense their surroundings. Scientists have proposed a new theoretical [...]
This Viral RNA Structure Could Lead to a Universal Antiviral Drug
Researchers identify a shared RNA-protein interaction that could lead to broad-spectrum antiviral treatments for enteroviruses. A new study from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC), published in Nature Communications, explains how enteroviruses begin reproducing [...]
New study suggests a way to rejuvenate the immune system
Stimulating the liver to produce some of the signals of the thymus can reverse age-related declines in T-cell populations and enhance response to vaccination. As people age, their immune system function declines. T cell [...]
Nerve Damage Can Disrupt Immunity Across the Entire Body
A single nerve injury can quietly reshape the immune system across the entire body. Preclinical research from McGill University suggests that nerve injuries may lead to long-lasting changes in the immune system, and these [...]
Fake Science Is Growing Faster Than Legitimate Research, New Study Warns
New research reveals organized networks linking paper mills, intermediaries, and compromised academic journals Organized scientific fraud is becoming increasingly common, ranging from fabricated research to the buying and selling of authorship and citations, according [...]
Scientists Unlock a New Way to Hear the Brain’s Hidden Language
Scientists can finally hear the brain’s quietest messages—unlocking the hidden code behind how neurons think, decide, and remember. Scientists have created a new protein that can capture the incoming chemical signals received by brain [...]
Does being infected or vaccinated first influence COVID-19 immunity?
A new study analyzing the immune response to COVID-19 in a Catalan cohort of health workers sheds light on an important question: does it matter whether a person was first infected or first vaccinated? [...]
We May Never Know if AI Is Conscious, Says Cambridge Philosopher
As claims about conscious AI grow louder, a Cambridge philosopher argues that we lack the evidence to know whether machines can truly be conscious, let alone morally significant. A philosopher at the University of [...]
AI Helped Scientists Stop a Virus With One Tiny Change
Using AI, researchers identified one tiny molecular interaction that viruses need to infect cells. Disrupting it stopped the virus before infection could begin. Washington State University scientists have uncovered a method to interfere with a key [...]
Deadly Hospital Fungus May Finally Have a Weakness
A deadly, drug-resistant hospital fungus may finally have a weakness—and scientists think they’ve found it. Researchers have identified a genetic process that could open the door to new treatments for a dangerous fungal infection [...]
Fever-Proof Bird Flu Variant Could Fuel the Next Pandemic
Bird flu viruses present a significant risk to humans because they can continue replicating at temperatures higher than a typical fever. Fever is one of the body’s main tools for slowing or stopping viral [...]
What could the future of nanoscience look like?
Society has a lot to thank for nanoscience. From improved health monitoring to reducing the size of electronics, scientists’ ability to delve deeper and better understand chemistry at the nanoscale has opened up numerous [...]
