International Journal of Nanomedicine (Jul 2024)
Engineering Exosomes for Therapeutic Applications: Decoding Biogenesis, Content Modification, and Cargo Loading Strategies
Abstract
Mehrnoosh Bahadorani, Mahboobeh Nasiri, Kristen Dellinger, Shyam Aravamudhan, Reza Zadegan Department of Nanoengineering, Joint School of Nanoscience & Nanoengineering, North Carolina Agriculture and Technical State University, Greensboro, NC, USACorrespondence: Reza Zadegan, Department of Nanoengineering, Joint School of Nanoscience & Nanoengineering, North Carolina Agriculture and Technical State University, Greensboro, NC, USA, Tel +1(336)285-2857, Email [email protected]: Exosomes emerge from endosomal invagination and range in size from 30 to 200 nm. Exosomes contain diverse proteins, lipids, and nucleic acids, which can indicate the state of various physiological and pathological processes. Studies have revealed the remarkable clinical potential of exosomes in diagnosing and prognosing multiple diseases, including cancer, cardiovascular disorders, and neurodegenerative conditions. Exosomes also have the potential to be engineered and deliver their cargo to a specific target. However, further advancements are imperative to optimize exosomes’ diagnostic and therapeutic capabilities for practical implementation in clinical settings. This review highlights exosomes’ diagnostic and therapeutic applications, emphasizing their engineering through simple incubation, biological, and click chemistry techniques. Additionally, the loading of therapeutic agents onto exosomes, utilizing passive and active strategies, and exploring hybrid and artificial exosomes are discussed.Keywords: exosome, engineered exosomes, drug delivery, diagnostics, therapeutics
