Expedition into Exosome Biology: A Perspective of Progress from Discovery to Therapeutic Development (original) (raw)

Recent Advances in Exosome-Based Drug Delivery for Cancer Therapy

Cancers, 2021

Exosomes are a class of extracellular vesicles, with a size of about 100 nm, secreted by most cells and carrying various bioactive molecules such as nucleic acids, proteins, and lipids, and reflect the biological status of parent cells. Exosomes have natural advantages such as high biocompatibility and low immunogenicity for efficient delivery of therapeutic agents such as chemotherapeutic drugs, nucleic acids, and proteins. In this review, we introduce the latest explorations of exosome-based drug delivery systems for cancer therapy, with particular focus on the targeted delivery of various types of cargoes.

Clinical Implications of Exosomes: Targeted Drug Delivery for Cancer Treatment

International Journal of Molecular Sciences

Exosomes are nanoscale vesicles generated by cells for intercellular communication. Due to their composition, significant research has been conducted to transform these particles into specific delivery systems for various disease states. In this review, we discuss the common isolation and loading methods of exosomes, some of the major roles of exosomes in the tumor microenvironment, as well as discuss recent applications of exosomes as drug delivery vessels and the resulting clinical implications.

A comprehensive overview of exosomes as drug delivery vehicles — Endogenous nanocarriers for targeted cancer therapy

Biochimica et Biophysica Acta (BBA) - Reviews on Cancer, 2014

Exosomes denote a class of secreted nanoparticles defined by size, surface protein and lipid composition, and the 22 ability to carry RNA and proteins. They are important mediators of intercellular communication and regulators of 23 the cellular niche, and their altered characteristics in many diseases, such as cancer, suggest them to be important 24 both for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes, prompting the idea of using exosomes as drug delivery vehicles, 25 especially for gene therapy. This review covers the current status of evidence presented in the field of 26 exosome-based drug delivery systems. Components for successful exosome-based drug delivery, such as choice 27 of donor cell, therapeutic cargo, use of targeting peptide, loading method and administration route are highlight-28 ed and discussed with a general focus pertaining to the results obtained in models of different cancer types. 29 In addition, completed and ongoing clinical trials are described, evaluating exosome-based therapies for the 30 treatment of different cancer types. Due to their endogenous origin, exosome-based drug delivery systems 31 may have advantages in the treatment of cancer, but their design needs further refinement to justify their 32 usage on the clinical scale.

Exosomes Engineering and Their Roles as Therapy Delivery Tools, Therapeutic Targets, and Biomarkers

International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 2021

Exosomes are becoming increasingly important therapeutic biomaterials for use in a variety of therapeutic applications due to their unique characteristics, especially due to the ineffectiveness and cytotoxicity of some existing therapies and synthetic therapeutic nanocarriers. They are highly promising as carriers of drugs, genes, and other therapeutic agents that can be incorporated into their interior or onto their surface through various modification techniques to improve their targeting abilities. In addition, they are biocompatible, safe, and stable. The review focuses on different types of exosomes and methods of their preparation, including the incorporation of different kinds of cargo, especially for drug delivery purposes. In particular, their importance and effectiveness as delivery vehicles of various therapeutic agents for a variety of therapeutic applications, including different diseases and disorders such as cancer treatment, cardiovascular and neurodegenerative disea...

Recent advancements in the use of exosomes as drug delivery systems

Journal of nanobiotechnology, 2018

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are the substances that are released by most types of cells and have an important role in cell to cell communication. Among the most highly researched EVs are exosome. Recent studies show that exosomes derived from cells have different roles and targets. Many studies show that exosome can efficiently deliver many different kinds of cargo to the target cell. Therefore, they are often used to deliver therapeutic cargo for treatment. The exosomes that have been used include both natural ones and those that have been modified with other substances to increase the delivery ability. This article provides a review of both exosomes derived from various cells and modified exosome and their ability in delivering the many kinds of cargo to the target cell.

Engineered Exosomes for Tumor-Targeted Drug Delivery: A Focus on Genetic and Chemical Functionalization

Pharmaceutics

Cancer is the main cause of death worldwide. The limitations in traditional cancer therapies provoked the advance and use of several nanotechnologies for more effective and nontoxic cancer treatment. Along with synthetic nanocarriers, extracellular vesicles (EVs)-mediated drug delivery systems have aroused substantial interest. The term EVs refers to cell-derived nanovesicles, such as exosomes, with phospholipid-bound structures, participating in cell-to-cell communication. Exosomes are 30–150 nm vesicles that can transfer many biological molecules between cells. From a drug delivery standpoint, exosomes can be loaded with various therapeutic cargo, with the several advantages of low immunogenicity, high biocompatibility, transformative, and effective tumor targeting aptitude. The exosomal surface can be functionalized to improve tumor targeting ability of them. Researchers have genetically expressed or chemically linked various molecules on the surface of exosomes. Despite extensiv...

Exosomes as New Generation Vehicles for Drug Delivery: Biomedical Applications and Future Perspectives

Molecules

Currently, particular interest among the scientific community is focused on exploring the use of exosomes for several pharmaceutical and biomedical applications. This is due to the identification of the role of exosomes as an excellent intercellular communicator by delivering the requisite cargo comprising of functional proteins, metabolites and nucleic acids. Exosomes are the smallest extracellular vesicles (EV) with sizes ranging from 30–100 nm and are derived from endosomes. Exosomes have similar surface morphology to cells and act as a signal transduction channel between cells. They encompass different biomolecules, such as proteins, nucleic acids and lipids, thus rendering them naturally as an attractive drug delivery vehicle. Like the other advanced drug delivery systems, such as polymeric nanoparticles and liposomes to encapsulate drug substances, exosomes also gained much attention in enhancing therapeutic activity. Exosomes present many advantages, such as compatibility wit...

Strategies to overcome the main challenges of the use of exosomes as drug carrier for cancer therapy

Cancer Cell International

Exosomes are naturally occurring nanosized particles that aid intercellular communication by transmitting biological information between cells. Exosomes have therapeutic efficacy that can transfer their contents between cells as natural carriers. In addition, the exosomal contents delivered to the recipient pathological cells significantly inhibit cancer progression. However, exosome-based tumor treatments are inadequately precise or successful, and various challenges should be adequately overcome. Here, we discuss the significant challenges that exosomes face as drug carriers used for therapeutic targets and strategies for overcoming these challenges in order to promote this new incoming drug carrier further and improve future clinical outcomes. We also present techniques for overcoming these challenges.

Exosome-Based Smart Drug Delivery for Cancer Treatment

IntechOpen eBooks, 2024

Advances in nanoscale materials have become indispensable for targeted drug delivery, early detection, and personalized approaches for cancer treatment. Among various nanoscale materials investigated, exosomes hold significant promise in drug delivery. Exosomes are nanoscale vesicles that are usually 30-150 nm in size and produced by cells for intercellular communication. Due to their unique composition and inherent tumor-targeting capacity, these particles are well suited for tumor-specific delivery systems. This chapter discusses exosome isolation, therapeutic loading methods, key roles of exosomes in the tumor microenvironment, current applications of exosomes in drug delivery, and possible clinical implications.

Exosomes: Insights and therapeutic applications in cancer

2022

Cancer refers to the division of abnormal cells at an uncontrollable rate that possesses the ability to infiltrate and destroy normal tissues. It frequently spreads to normal tissues throughout the body, a condition known as metastasis, which is a significant concern. It is the second leading cause of mortality globally and treatment therapy can assist in improving survival rates. Exosomes are the extracellular vesicles secreted by several cells that act as messengers between cells. When engineered, exosomes act as promising drug delivery vehicles that help achieve targeted action at the tumour site and reduce the limitations of conventional treatments such as castration, chemotherapy, radiation, etc. The present review provides an overview of exosomes, the biogenesis, sources, isolation methods and characterization. The current status and applications of chemotherapeutic agents loaded, engineered exosomes in cancer treatment were convoluted.