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Extracellular Vesicles as an Efficient and Versatile System for Drug Delivery
Xuan T T Dang1, Jayasinghe Migara Kavishka1,2, Daniel Xin Zhang2,3,4
1Department of Pharmacology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117600, Singapore.
Cells
|October 2, 2020
Summary
Extracellular vesicles (EVs) show promise as drug delivery systems due to their natural properties. Engineering EVs can enhance targeting, circulation, and payload delivery for improved therapeutic efficacy.
Area of Science:
- Biomedical Engineering
- Drug Delivery
- Nanotechnology
Background:
- Many novel therapeutics fail clinical translation due to inadequate delivery systems.
- Lack of safe, non-immunogenic, and targeted delivery hinders therapeutic success.
- Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are natural carriers with potential for drug delivery.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the properties and engineering of EVs for therapeutic applications.
- To highlight the potential of EVs as drug delivery vehicles.
- To discuss challenges and future perspectives in EV-based therapeutics.
Main Methods:
- Overview of EV biogenesis, features, and isolation.
- Detailed examination of EV engineering strategies for enhanced targeting and payload delivery.
- Analysis of current advances in EV therapeutics.
Main Results:
- EVs possess intrinsic properties making them suitable drug carriers.
- Engineering can improve EV target specificity, circulation, and drug encapsulation.
- EVs offer a promising platform for advanced drug delivery.
Conclusions:
- EVs represent a viable and improvable platform for drug delivery.
- Further research and engineering are crucial for clinical translation of EV therapeutics.
- EV-based therapies hold significant future potential.
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