{
  "id": 10711414,
  "title": "Single-Particle STORM Imaging Quantifies Coating Heterogeneity Among Cell Membrane-Coated Nanoparticles",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/29/single-particle-storm-imaging-quantifies-coating-heterogeneity-among",
  "topic": "science",
  "section": "Science",
  "published": "2026-09-29T00:00:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "bioRxiv",
    "slug": "biorxiv",
    "url": "https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.09.28.755175v1?rss=1"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Cell membrane-coated nanoparticles (CNPs) are a promising biomimetic delivery system, capable of engaging therapeutic targets through source-cell membrane protein functions or homotypic interactions. However, the development of CNPs is hindered by the inability to accurately assess membrane coating completeness and particle-to-particle variation. Researchers have now devised a STOchastic Optical Reconstruction Microscopy (STORM)-based technique that enables single-particle characterization of CNP populations.\n\nBy applying this method to dendritic cell membrane- and HeLa cell membrane-coated nanoparticles (DCmPs and HeLamPs), scientists uncovered significant heterogeneity within both particle types, as well as a dependence on cell type for coating outcomes. These findings were supported by confocal imaging and flow cytometry. Additionally, the team quantified membrane protein composition, including peptide major histocompatibility complex class I (pMHC-I) found in DCmPs, and demonstrated that these membrane-coated nanoparticles preferentially engaged antigen-specific T cells in coculture.\n\nThis novel single-particle framework provides a quantitative standard for CNP characterization, offering a foundation for quality control and rational design in the field of biomimetic targeted drug delivery.",
  "summary": "Cell membrane-coated nanoparticles (CNPs) are a potentially transformative biomimetic targeted-delivery platform, which can engage therapeutic targets through source-cell membrane protein functions or homotypic interactions. However, their therapeutic development is limited by the current inability to accurately resolve membrane coating completeness, and CNP particle-to-particle variation. Here,…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}