Deformability is one of the critical attributes of nanoparticle (NP) drug carriers, along with size, shape, and surface properties. It affects various aspects of NP biotransport, ranging from circulation and biodistribution to interactions with biological barriers and target cells. Recent studies report additional roles of NP deformability in biotransport processes, including protein corona formation, intracellular trafficking, and organelle distribution. This review focuses on the literature published in the past five years to update our understanding of NP deformability and its effect on NP biotransport. We introduce different methods of modulating and evaluating NP deformability and showcase recent studies that compare a series of NPs in their performance in biotransport events at all levels, highlighting the consensus and disagreement of the findings. It concludes with a perspective on the intricacy of systematic investigation of NP deformability and future opportunities to advance its control toward optimal drug delivery.

中文翻译：

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纳米粒子变形性对多尺度生物转运的影响


可变形性与尺寸、形状和表面特性一样，是纳米颗粒 (NP) 药物载体的关键属性之一。它影响纳米粒子生物转运的各个方面，从循环和生物分布到与生物屏障和靶细胞的相互作用。最近的研究报告了纳米颗粒变形性在生物转运过程中的其他作用，包括蛋白冠形成、细胞内运输和细胞器分布。本综述重点关注过去五年发表的文献，以更新我们对 NP 变形性及其对 NP 生物转运影响的理解。我们介绍了调节和评估纳米粒子变形能力的不同方法，并展示了最近的研究，这些研究比较了一系列纳米粒子在各级生物转运事件中的表现，强调了研究结果的共识和分歧。最后对 NP 变形性系统研究的复杂性以及未来推进其控制以实现最佳药物输送的机会进行了展望。