Recent Advances on Extracellular Vesicles: A Natural Nanomaterial for Biomedical Application.

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Nanotechnology
• Cell Biology
• Drug Delivery Systems

Background:

• Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are nanoscale lipid bilayer structures secreted by cells, recognized for biocompatibility, low immunogenicity, and barrier crossing.
• Their potential in biomedicine makes them a significant research focus, necessitating standardized characterization and advanced engineering.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically review recent advances in extracellular vesicles (EVs) as natural nanomaterials for biomedical applications.
• To critically evaluate engineering strategies for enhancing EV therapeutic efficacy using a biomimetic framework.
• To identify challenges and future directions for the clinical translation of EVs.

Main Methods:

• Comparative analysis of EV biogenesis mechanisms and isolation/purification techniques (ultracentrifugation, SEC, microfluidics).
• Review of engineering strategies: parental cell modification, physicochemical tailoring, and hybrid vesicle construction.
• Evaluation of design principles for targeted delivery, drug loading, and pharmacokinetic stability through biomimetic nanotechnology.

Main Results:

• Standardized characterization is guided by MISEV 2023 guidelines.
• Engineering strategies significantly enhance EV therapeutic potential.
• Biomimetic approaches offer a framework for optimizing EV design for targeted delivery and stability.

Conclusions:

• Extracellular vesicles (EVs) show great promise as standardized precision medicine platforms.
• Overcoming technical bottlenecks is crucial for clinical translation.
• Further research into biomimetic engineering will advance EV-based therapeutics.