Engineered small extracellular vesicles as bioactive materials: Integrating engineering strategies for cargo loading...

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Nanotechnology
• Cell Biology

Background:

• Small extracellular vesicles (sEVs) possess unique membrane composition and nanoscale architecture.
• sEVs serve as a versatile platform for therapeutic engineering, acting as active carriers rather than passive ones.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review recent advances in engineering sEVs as programmable bioactive materials.
• To discuss the potential of engineered sEVs in regenerative medicine, oncology, and precision therapeutics.

Main Methods:

• Endogenous modulation of donor cells (genetic editing, priming, cytokine stimulation, hypoxic cues) for selective cargo packaging.
• Exogenous techniques (electroporation, sonication, extrusion) for controlled incorporation of therapeutics and genome-editing complexes.
• Surface modifications (Lamp2b-fusion scaffolds, aptamers, antibodies, click chemistry) for tissue tropism and extended circulation.
• Integration with nanomaterials, scaffolds, and microfluidic platforms for enhanced stability and scalability.

Main Results:

• Engineered sEVs demonstrate efficient loading, precise targeting, and functional integration with synthetic systems.
• Surface modifications improve sEVs' tissue tropism and circulation time.
• Integration strategies enhance sEV stability, scalability, and reproducibility.

Conclusions:

• Engineered sEVs represent a promising frontier at the intersection of biology and materials science.
• Programmable sEVs hold significant potential to revolutionize regenerative medicine, oncology, and precision therapeutics.