Engineered extracellular vesicles and their mimetics for cancer immunotherapy

Area of Science:

• Immunology
• Biotechnology
• Oncology

Background:

• Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are cell-secreted vesicles mediating intercellular communication.
• EVs play roles in physiological and pathological processes, including tumor development.
• EVs are being explored as diagnostic biomarkers and drug delivery systems, particularly in immunotherapy.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the role of EVs in immune regulation.
• To discuss engineering strategies for developing EVs in cancer immunotherapy.
• To highlight design logic and clinical transformation challenges of engineered EVs.

Main Methods:

• Literature review of studies on EVs in immune regulation and immunotherapy.
• Analysis of engineering strategies for targeted immune-based therapies using EVs.
• Discussion of clinical translation and future prospects.

Main Results:

• EVs can transfer molecules to immune cells, influencing tumor progression.
• Engineered EVs show potential for targeted immune-based cancer therapy.
• Nanotechnology advancements facilitate the development of engineered EVs.

Conclusions:

• EVs possess unique properties for immune regulation and cancer immunotherapy.
• Engineered EVs offer promising avenues for targeted cancer treatment.
• Further research is needed to overcome clinical transformation challenges for EVs in immunotherapy.