Urinary exosomes-based Engineered Nanovectors for Homologously Targeted Chemo-Chemodynamic Prostate Cancer Therapy

Shaojun Pan1, Yuhui Zhang2, Mark Huang3

  • 1School of Biomedical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, PR China; Institute of Nano Biomedicine and Engineering, Shanghai Engineering Research Centre for Intelligent Diagnosis and Treatment Instrument, Department of Instrument Science and Engineering, School of Electronic Information and Electrical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 800 Dongchuan RD, Shanghai, 200240, PR China; First Affiliated Hospital of Bengbu Medical College, Bengbu, 233030, China.

Biomaterials
|June 13, 2021
PubMed

Insights

Researchers developed novel nanovectors using urinary exosomes for targeted prostate cancer therapy. These nanovectors effectively deliver drugs, inhibit tumor growth, and offer a promising, scalable approach for cancer treatment.

Area of Science:

  • Biomedical Engineering
  • Nanotechnology
  • Oncology

Background:

  • Exosomes are promising nanovectors for tumor targeting and immune evasion.
  • Current methods for obtaining pure, high-dose exosomes are labor-intensive and challenging.
  • Targeted homologous cancer therapy requires efficient and pure nanocarriers.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To develop a chemo/chemodynamic theranostic nano-platform for targeted homologous prostate cancer therapy.
  • To utilize urinary exosomes as a source for high-purity, functional nanovectors.
  • To investigate the therapeutic efficacy of the novel nanovector by targeting specific signaling pathways.

Main Methods:

  • Developed Exo-PMA/Fe-HSA@DOX nanovectors cloaked with urinary exosome membrane.
  • Utilized urinary exosomes from prostate cancer patients, preserving cancer cell membrane antigens (E-cadherin, CD47).
  • Evaluated nanovector penetration in DU145 3D MCTS and in vivo synergistic chemo/chemodynamic therapy, assessing EGFR/AKT/NF-kB/IkB signaling pathway blockage.

Main Results:

  • Exo-PMA/Fe-HSA@DOX nanovectors demonstrated high purity and preserved homologous cancer cell targeting properties.
  • Nanovectors effectively penetrated prostate cancer models and achieved superior synergistic low-dose chemo/chemodynamic therapy in vivo.
  • Therapy successfully abrogated Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor (EGFR) and downstream AKT/NF-kB/IkB signaling.

Conclusions:

  • Urinary exosomes provide a rich source for mass production of high-purity nanovectors.
  • This novel nano-platform offers an efficient and facile method for targeted homologous prostate cancer therapy.
  • The developed nanovectors represent a promising strategy for advancing cancer treatment through targeted drug delivery and pathway inhibition.