Medical Applications
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Development of a safe and functional nanomaterials is essential to the advancement of drug delivery and therapy. Initially thought to be a cellular waste from cell damage or by-products of cell homeostasis, exosomes, an endogenous extracellular vesicles (EVs) are now regarded as a rising star in drug delivery, diagnostics, and therapeutics [1]. Exosomes, an endosomal derived membrane-bound vesicle ranging in size from 30 to 150 nm, is a subtype of extracellular vesicles secreted by almost all eukaryotic cells. They can be found in almost all bodily fluids such as plasma, urine, milk, saliva and cerebral spinal fluid. They were shown to contain a complex cargos of proteins, lipids and genetic materials, which can be transported to targeted cells to mediate their cell to cell communication [2]. As their cargos may vary greatly with respect to their cell type and cell state (e.g. stressed, stimulated, differentiated and transformed), exosomes and their biologically active cargos can provide prognostic information for various diseases such as chronic inflammation, cardiovascular diseases and tumors. This makes exosomes to become an ideal candidate for non-invasive diagnosis [3].
Similarly, as exosomes inherit many physiological characteristics of originated cells, mesenchymal stem cells- derived exosomes (MSC-EVs) are widely explored for their potential to treat degenerative diseases such as osteoarthritis [4] and Alzheimer's disease [5]. Studies have shown that MSC-EVs are capable to regenerate tissues, promote angiogenesis and have good immune regulatory properties [6]. Hence, they are widely explored to be used as alternative to the original cell therapy as exosome-based therapies can overcome the issues of necrosis or abnormal differentiation and the possibility of immune rejection.
Moreover, exosomes are also highly promising as natural therapeutic carriers as they can overcome the limitations associated with many previously discovered synthetic drug nanocarrier. While different nanocarriers have been developed to refine their pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics with lower side effects and toxicity, the drawbacks of non-specific drug targeting, immunogenicity and toxicity remain. Exosomes, which originate from biological system hold a great promise as they are biocompatible, and they are readily metabolized and excreted. They are also believed to exhibit minimal toxicity and tumorigenicity. More interestingly, they can exhibit the combination advantages characteristic of both synthetic drug carrier and cell-mediated delivery methods, where they can be modified and loaded with active pharmaceutical ingredients while exhibiting the desired targeting capability [1].
References
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Tenchov, R., Sasso, J. M., Wang, X., Liaw, W. S., Chen, C. A., & Zhou, Q. A. (2022). Exosomes─Nature's Lipid Nanoparticles, a Rising Star in Drug Delivery and Diagnostics. ACS nano, 16(11), 17802–17846. https://doi.org/10.1021/acsnano.2c08774
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Zhang, Y., Liu, Y., Liu, H. et al. Exosomes: biogenesis, biologic function and clinical potential. Cell Biosci 9, 19 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1186/s13578-019-0282-2
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Kalishwaralal K, Kwon WY, Park KS. Exosomes for Non-Invasive Cancer Monitoring. Biotechnol J. 2019 an;14(1):e1800430. doi: 10.1002/biot.201800430. Epub 2018 Nov 20. MID: 30358137.
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Nguyen, T. H., Duong, C. M., Nguyen, X. H., & Than, U. T. T. (2021). Mesenchymal Stem Cell-Derived Extracellular Vesicles for Osteoarthritis Treatment: Extracellular Matrix Protection, Chondrocyte and Osteocyte Physiology, Pain and Inflammation Management. Cells, 10(11), 2887. https://doi.org/10.3390/cells10112887
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Chen, Y. A., Lu, C. H., Ke, C. C., Chiu, S. J., Jeng, F. S., Chang, C. W., Yang, B. H., & Liu, R. S. (2021). Mesenchymal Stem Cell-Derived Exosomes Ameliorate Alzheimer's Disease Pathology and Improve Cognitive Deficits. Biomedicines, 9(6), 594. https://doi.org/10.3390/biomedicines9060594
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Wei, W., Ao, Q., Wang, X., Cao, Y., Liu, Y., Zheng, S. G., & Tian, X. (2021). Mesenchymal Stem Cell-Derived Exosomes: A Promising Biological Tool in Nanomedicine. Frontiers in pharmacology, 11, 590470. https://doi.org/10.3389/fphar.2020.590470