Platelets contribute a major role in hemostasis by clumping and coagulation at the site of blood vessel injuries.In light of recent findings of a close relationship between platelets and immunological response,as well as interactions between platelets and cancer cells,novel engineering strategies have emerged for the integration of platelets or platelet membrane (PM) with anti-cancer therapeutics.In this review,we discuss several recent innovations that use platelets or their membranes to circumvent host immune responses and target tumor cells with high specificity to deliver a range of pharmacological,photother-mal,or immunologic agents for eradication of recalcitrant tumor cells.More specifically,we compare the relative advantages of using whole platelets versus single or hybrid PM to coat nanoparticle cargoes.These cargoes range from well-established anti-tumor apoptosis-inducing agents,to relatively new photother-mal agents that can induce a feedback cascade in which they induce vascular damage to the tumor which recruits more platelet-or membrane-encapsulated agents to induce further damage.We also discuss the use of engineered platelets to produce programmed cell death-inducing platelet derived microparticles.This review provides an overview and future directions for this promising platelet-based biomimetic approach to anti-cancer therapy.