OICC Press International Journal of Nano Dimension 2228-5059 14 3 (July 2023) 2024 03 03 Designing bilayer lipid encapsulated mesoporous Silica nanostructures: Review on structural and functional features of protocell 10.22034/ijnd.2023.1981974.2208 EN Nishant Chopade Department of Pharmaceutics, Dr. Rajendra Gode College of Pharmacy, Malkapur, Dist – Buldhana (M.S.) India - 443 101. 0000-0002-6441-0071 Mahesh More Department of Pharmaceutics, Dr. Rajendra Gode College of Pharmacy, Malkapur, Dist – Buldhana (M.S.) India - 443 101. 0000-0002-2763-8560 Sagar Pardeshi Department of Pharmaceutics, St. Johns Institute of Pharmacy and Research, Palghar (M.S.), India - 401 404. 0000-0003-1359-5907 Abhijeet Puri Department of Pharmaceutics, St. Johns Institute of Pharmacy and Research, Palghar (M.S.), India - 401 404. 0000-0001-8906-7903 Jitendra Naik University Institute of Chemical Technology, Kavayitri Bahinabai Chaudhari North Maharashtra University, Jalgaon (M.S.) India – 425 001. 0000-0003-1359-5907 Prashant Deshmukh Department of Pharmaceutics, Dr. Rajendra Gode College of Pharmacy, Malkapur, Dist – Buldhana (M.S.) India - 443 101. 0000-0002-6860-3014 Journal Article 2024 03 03 The word "protocell" refers to lipid bilayer-coated mesoporous silica nanoparticles (LB-MSNs) which have recently come to light as a new-generation cargo transport vehicle that combines the special features of both organic and inorganic components. LB-MSN can regulate biodistribution effectively due to the presence of bilayer encapsulation while high payload capacity was due to the presence of porous nature of silica core. The MSN can be fine-tuned to generate various sizes, shapes, and surfaces while multiple cargos can be easily encapsulated with physical interaction. The bilayer coating avoids the premature release of chemotherapeutics and enhances biocompatibility. The biofunctionalization of protocells provides high colloidal stability and extends surfaces for further modification. The inorganic core can accommodate and surface-engineered multiple classes of biorelevant surface tags for active targeting. The site-specific or organ-specific delivery enhances the reliability of the material while the engineered surfaces could pave a way forward in treating various diseases. The multifaceted review highlights the potential use of bilayer encapsulated MSN for therapeutic delivery and management of multiple diseases.