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

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Nanotechnology
• Cell Biology

Background:

• Exosomes are increasingly recognized as crucial intercellular communicators.
• These extracellular vesicles (EVs) carry functional proteins, metabolites, and nucleic acids.
• Their natural properties make them attractive for drug delivery applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the current knowledge on exosome biogenesis, isolation, and characterization.
• To explore the pharmaceutical and therapeutic applications of exosomes in drug delivery.
• To discuss the challenges and future perspectives of exosome-based therapies.

Main Methods:

• Literature review of exosome research.
• Analysis of exosome biogenesis and secretion pathways.
• Evaluation of various exosome isolation and characterization techniques.
• Assessment of exosome loading methods for therapeutic cargo.
• Review of exosome-based drug delivery systems and their applications.

Main Results:

• Exosomes exhibit advantageous properties for drug delivery, including low toxicity, biocompatibility, and targeting capabilities.
• They can encapsulate and transport therapeutic molecules, enhancing efficacy.
• Current exosome-based therapies are in early research and clinical trial stages.

Conclusions:

• Exosomes hold significant potential as advanced drug delivery vehicles.
• Overcoming challenges in their production, loading, and clinical translation is crucial.
• Continued research is essential to fully realize the therapeutic promise of exosomes.