Unlocking the potential of exosomes: overcoming challenges in retention time, stability and targeting

Exosomes, a subtype of extracellular vesicles (EVs) ranging in size from 30-150 nm, have emerged as critical mediators of intercellular communication and promising therapeutic tools for drug delivery, biomarker detection, and the treatment of complex diseases such as cancer and neurodegenerative disorders. PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science were searched using MeSH terms and keywords related to exosome. Despite their high promise, clinical translation is hampered by issues such as fast circulation clearance, storage instability, variability in biomarker composition, and limited production scalability. Furthermore, current exosome isolation and retention approaches frequently impair purity, yield, or functionality. This research emphasizes the importance of uniform separation, storage protocols, and scalable manufacturing processes, while also investigating sophisticated imaging approaches for monitoring exosome biodistribution and therapeutic effects. These breakthroughs have the potential to overcome translational constraints, allowing for the integration of exosome-based medicines into clinical practice and changing the precision medicine landscape.