Novel Bioengineering Strategies to Improve Bioavailability and In Vivo Circulation of H-Ferritin Nanocages by Surface Functionalization

Due to its unique architecture and innate capability to specifically target cancer cells, ferritin has emerged as an attractive class of biomaterials for drug delivery. In many studies, various chemotherapeutics have been loaded into ferritin nanocages constituted by H-chains of ferritin (HFn), and their related anti-tumor efficacy has been explored by employing different strategies. Despite the multiple advantages and the versatility of HFn-based nanocages, there are still many challenges to face for their reliable implementation as drug nanocarriers in the process of clinical translation. This review aims at providing an overview of the significant efforts expended during recent years to maximize the features of HFn in terms of increased stability and in vivo circulation. The most considerable modification strategies explored to improve bioavailability and pharmacokinetics profiles of HFn-based nanosystems will be discussed herein.