Exosomes as Tools to Suppress Primary Brain Tumor

Exosomes are small microvesicles released by cells that efficiently transfer their molecular cargo to other cells, including tumor. Exosomes may pass the blood-brain barrier and have been demonstrated to deliver RNAs contained within to brain. As they are non-viable, the risk profile of exosomes is thought to be less than that of cellular therapies. Exosomes can be manufactured at scale in culture, and exosomes can be engineered to incorporate therapeutic miRNAs, siRNAs, or chemotherapeutic molecules. As natural biological delivery vehicles, interest in the use of exosomes as therapeutic delivery agents is growing. We previously demonstrated a novel treatment whereby mesenchymal stromal cells were employed to package tumor-suppressing miR-146b into exosomes, which were then used to reduce malignant glioma growth in rat. The use of exosomes to raise the immune system against tumor is also drawing interest. Exosomes from dendritic cells which are antigen-presenting, and have been used for treatment of brain tumor may be divided into three categories: (1) exosomes for immunomodulation-based therapy, (2) exosomes as delivery vehicles for anti-tumor nucleotides, and (3) exosomes as drug delivery vehicles. Here, we will provide an overview of these three applications of exosomes to treat brain tumor, and examine their prospects on the long road to clinical use.