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Extracellular Vesicles as Emerging Drug Delivery Platforms in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer: A Systematic Review
Jiao Tian1,2, Yun Zhi Chin3, Min Hwei Ng1
1Department of Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Abstract:
Breast cancer is the most prevalent malignancy among women, with triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) being the most aggressive subtype. The lack of standard targeted therapies necessitates reliance on chemotherapy, which often suffers from poor targeting and significant off-target toxicity. This systematic review evaluates the therapeutic potential of drug delivery systems based on extracellular vesicles (EVs) for TNBC using 17 studies from 2020 to 2024 published in Scopus, PubMed, and Web of Science. The review discusses the diverse therapeutic cargos delivered by EVs, including chemotherapeutic agents and nucleic acids, while emphasizing the need for standardized protocols to facilitate EV isolation and characterization. Key findings provide both in vitro and in vivo evidence of the efficacy of EV-based therapies against TNBC cell lines and animal models, alongside insights into engineering strategies that enhance targeting specificity. Despite the promising findings, challenges remain in clinical translation, such as technical limitations and inconsistent reporting. The results underscore the potential of EVs to revolutionize TNBC treatment strategies, paving the way for more effective therapeutic options.
Insights
Extracellular vesicles (EVs) show promise for treating aggressive triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). This review highlights their potential to deliver therapies effectively, improving outcomes for TNBC patients.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Biotechnology
- Drug Delivery Systems
Background:
- Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is an aggressive malignancy with limited targeted therapy options.
- Current chemotherapy for TNBC faces challenges with poor targeting and significant toxicity.
- Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are emerging as a novel platform for targeted drug delivery.
Purpose of the Study:
- To systematically review the therapeutic potential of extracellular vesicle (EV)-based drug delivery systems for triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC).
- To evaluate the efficacy of various therapeutic cargos delivered by EVs in preclinical TNBC models.
- To identify challenges and opportunities for the clinical translation of EV-based therapies for TNBC.
Main Methods:
- Systematic literature review of 17 studies published between 2020 and 2024.
- Searches conducted in Scopus, PubMed, and Web of Science databases.
- Analysis of studies reporting in vitro and in vivo efficacy of EV-based therapies for TNBC.
Main Results:
- EVs can effectively deliver diverse therapeutic cargos, including chemotherapeutic agents and nucleic acids, to TNBC cells.
- Preclinical studies demonstrate significant in vitro and in vivo efficacy of EV-based therapies against TNBC.
- Engineering strategies enhance EV targeting specificity, showing promising results in preclinical models.
Conclusions:
- EV-based drug delivery systems hold substantial therapeutic potential for treating triple-negative breast cancer.
- Standardization of EV isolation and characterization protocols is crucial for clinical translation.
- Despite challenges in clinical translation, EVs offer a promising avenue for developing more effective TNBC treatments.
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