Engineered plant extracellular vesicles: Emerging nanoplatforms for combinational cancer immunotherapy

Area of Science:

• Biotechnology
• Nanomedicine
• Plant Science

Background:

• Plant-derived extracellular vesicles (PDEVs) are nanoparticles released by plants, featuring a lipid bilayer with diverse biomolecules.
• Despite being a recent research area (approx. 10 years), PDEVs exhibit significant potential for basic research and clinical applications.
• PDEVs show promise in inflammation regulation and tumor treatment due to their biocompatibility and vesicle-mimicking structure.

Purpose of the Study:

• To summarize current advancements in engineering plant-derived extracellular vesicles (PDEVs) for cancer treatment.
• To review the development of PDEVs as a platform for combination cancer immunotherapy.
• To discuss the characteristics, anti-tumor mechanisms, and *in vivo* safety of PDEVs.

Main Methods:

• Review of existing literature on plant-derived extracellular vesicles (PDEVs).
• Analysis of PDEV biogenesis, composition, and anti-tumor activities.
• Evaluation of engineering strategies for PDEVs in cancer therapy and immunotherapy.

Main Results:

• PDEVs can be engineered to deliver anti-cancer agents like RNA, proteins, and chemotherapy drugs.
• PDEVs serve as an innovative platform for combination cancer immunotherapy.
• Summarized essential characteristics, anti-tumor mechanisms, and *in vivo* safety profiles of PDEVs.

Conclusions:

• Plant-derived extracellular vesicles (PDEVs) represent a promising nanocarrier for cancer treatment and immunotherapy.
• Engineering PDEVs offers a versatile platform for developing novel anti-cancer therapeutics.
• Challenges in scale-up production and clinical translation require further investigation for PDEV realization.