Surface Functionalization of Extracellular Vesicles with Nucleic Acids towards Biomedical Applications

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Nanotechnology
• Molecular Biology

Background:

• Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are cell-secreted nanoparticles with significant potential as nanocarriers for diagnostics and therapeutics.
• Surface modification of EVs can improve their detectability, targeting, and therapeutic efficacy.
• Aptamers, as artificial antibodies, offer precise targeting and functionalization capabilities for EVs.

Conclusions:

• Nucleic acid-based surface functionalization is a powerful strategy to enhance the utility of extracellular vesicles.
• Functionalized EVs hold significant promise for advancing disease diagnosis, drug delivery, and immunomodulation.
• The development of stable, artificial nucleic acid-based systems will further unlock the therapeutic potential of EVs.