Plant-Derived Exosome-Like Nanoparticles: A Promising Therapeutic for Neurological Disorders and Drug Delivery

Neurological disorders, including ischemic stroke, Alzheimer's disease, and Parkinson's disease, exhibit high incidence rates and pose significant health challenges. Current pharmacological treatments often fail to adequately address clinical needs due to obstacles such as limited penetration of the blood-brain barrier and suboptimal efficacy. Plant-derived exosome-like nanoparticles (PELNs) have emerged as promising therapeutic agents due to their superior biocompatibility, low toxicity, ability to traverse the blood-brain barrier, and abundance of lipids, microRNAs, and other bioactive compounds. This review provides a comprehensive overview of recent advancements in PELNs preparation technologies, elucidates the mechanisms of action of their principal bioactive components, and explores their therapeutic applications across various neurological disorders, thereby offering a theoretical foundation for the development of related treatment strategies. Nonetheless, researches on PELNs continue to encounter significant challenges. At the production level, there is an absence of standardized isolation protocols, and the yields remain inadequate to satisfy clinical requirements. Clinically, the efficacy in humans has yet to be established, and the available safety data are insufficient. Technically, the lack of standardized storage conditions and the susceptibility of biological stability to external factors further complicate the field. This review delineates these challenges to offer insights for advancing both fundamental research and the clinical translation of PELNs.