Plant Exosomal Vesicles: Perspective Information Nanocarriers in Biomedicine

Abstract

Exosomal nanoparticles (exosomes or nanovesicles) are biogenic membrane vesicles secreted by various cell types and represent a conservative mechanism of intercellular and interspecies communication in pro- and eukaryotic organisms. By transporting specific proteins, nucleic acids, and low molecular weight metabolites, the exosomes are involved in the regulation of developmental processes, activation of the immune system, and the development of a protective response to stress. Recently, the plant nanovesicles, due to an economical and affordable source of their production, have attracted a lot of attention in the biomedical field. Being a natural transport system, the plant exosomes represent a promising platform in biomedicine for the delivery of molecules of both endogenous and exogenous origin. This review presents current data on the biogenesis of plant exosomes and their composition, as well as mechanisms of their loading with various therapeutic compounds, which are determining factors for their possible practical use. We believe that further research in this area will significantly expand the potential of targeted therapy, particularly targeted gene regulation via the small RNAs, due to the use of plant exosomes in clinical practice.

Keywords

• exosomes
• targeted drug delivery
• multivesicular bodies
• membrane transport