Combination of Dendrimers and Exosomes: Implications for Biomedical Applications

The rapid development of nanotechnology enables wide exploration of biomimetic nanoplatforms, which can combine traditional nanoparticles and bio-derived materials to have a better performance. Exosomes work as a messenger between cells and specific biomarkers and are also involved in the developmental process of diseases. Dendrimers with high physical stability and unique structure are always used as carriers for drugs or genes, thereby realizing enhanced delivery and precise theranostics. Therefore, it is promising to utilize exosomes as transmitters for packaging dendrimers, thus reducing the cytotoxicity of dendrimers and improving the treatment efficiency. Meanwhile, using multifunctional dendrimers to capture and detect exosomes for disease diagnosis is also a potential strategy. Herein, the recent progresses in the combination of dendrimers and exosomes are summarized, and the related biomedical applications are reviewed. Finally, the current challenges and future perspectives with regard to this up-and-coming combination are briefly discussed.