Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 15, 2025

LINE-1 Methylation Analysis in Mesenchymal Stem Cells Treated with Osteosarcoma-Derived Extracellular Vesicles
Published on: February 1, 2020
Emerging Roles of Using Small Extracellular Vesicles as an Anti-Cancer Drug
Hyeon Su Joo1, Ju Hun Suh1, Chan Mi So1
1School of Life Science, Handong Global University, 558 Handong-ro, Buk-gu, Pohang 37554, Republic of Korea.
Abstract:
Small extracellular vesicles (sEVs) are emerging as a novel therapeutic strategy for cancer therapy. Tumor-cell-derived sEVs contain biomolecules that can be utilized for cancer diagnosis. sEVs can directly exert tumor-killing effects or modulate the tumor microenvironment, leading to anti-cancer effects. In this review, the application of sEVs as a diagnostic tool, drug delivery system, and active pharmaceutical ingredient for cancer therapy will be highlighted. The therapeutic efficacies of sEVs will be compared to conventional immune checkpoint inhibitors. Additionally, this review will provide strategies for sEV engineering to enhance the therapeutic efficacies of sEVs. As a bench-to-bedside application, we will discuss approaches to encourage good-manufacturing-practice-compliant industrial-scale manufacturing and purification of sEVs.
Related Concept Videos
Overview of Exosomes
Stahl et al. discovered exosomes in 1983, but the exosomes were initially considered waste products released from the...
Targeted Cancer Therapies
There are several types of targeted therapies against...
Cancer Cell Migration through Invadopodia
Cancer Stem Cells and Tumor Maintenance
Cancer stem cells are thought to originate from tissue-specific normal stem cells or progenitor cells. The normal stem cells usually reside in...
Drugs that Stabilize Microtubules
Cancer Therapies
However, cancer treatments can pose several challenges, as therapies used to kill cancer cells are generally also toxic to normal cells. Moreover, cancer cells mutate rapidly and can develop resistance to chemical agents or radiation therapy. Besides, all types of cancer cells may not respond to the same therapy. Some cancer cells respond to one...

