Table 4.

Representative targeted cargo delivery systems on the basis of macrophages.

Strategies	Cargos	Functions	Ref.
Trojan Horses	Nanoparticle indinavir	Nanoparticle indinavir packaged BMDMs can effectively decrease the number of HIV-1 infected cells and protect CD4+ T lymphocytes in humanized mouse model	[293]
	Au–SiO2 nanoshells	Macrophages can deliver therapeutic NPs to tumor hypoxic region for NIR-induced cell killing	[294]
	Liposomal DOX, iron oxide	Macrophages can actively deliver DOX to and effectively suppress xenograft tumors in mouse model; iron oxide-laden macrophages can efficaciously penetrate into tumors via MR imaging	[295]
	BSA-coated small Au nanorods	Macrophages can effectively deliver Au agent into entire tumor post intratumoral injection and greatly amplify photothermal therapy efficacy	[296]
	Bi2Se3 nanosheets	Bi2Se3-loaded macrophages can efficiently target tumor post intravenous injection and noticeably heighten photothermal therapy efficacy	[297]
	Aspirin-laden Au nanocages	Armed monocytes can initiate M1 activation to combat bacterial infection at early stage, and at late stage differentiate into M2 macrophages driven by NIR to restrain excessive inflammation for bone formation and osteomyelitis treatment	[298]
Polymeric backpacks	Drug-loaded polyelectrolyte backpacks	Monocytes/macrophages can target and deliver cellular backpacks into inflamed tissues to locally release drugs for inflammation treatment	[299]
	IFN-γ loaded PLGA–PVA–PLGA backpacks	Macrophages can maintain the durable antitumoral phenotype to reduce metastasis burden and slow tumor growth for cancer immunotherapy	[290]