Environmental Science & Engineering, University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, Texas 79968, United States.
Department of Biomedical Engineering, Institute for Quantitative Health Science and Engineering, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824, United States.
ACS Biomater Sci Eng. 2021 Jun 14;7(6):2106-2149. doi: 10.1021/acsbiomaterials.1c00217. Epub 2021 May 14.
Exosomes are cell-derived vesicles containing heterogeneous active biomolecules such as proteins, lipids, mRNAs, receptors, immune regulatory molecules, and nucleic acids. They typically range in size from 30 to 150 nm in diameter. An exosome's surfaces can be bioengineered with antibodies, fluorescent dye, peptides, and tailored for small molecule and large active biologics. Exosomes have enormous potential as a drug delivery vehicle due to enhanced biocompatibility, excellent payload capability, and reduced immunogenicity compared to alternative polymeric-based carriers. Because of active targeting and specificity, exosomes are capable of delivering their cargo to exosome-recipient cells. Additionally, exosomes can potentially act as early stage disease diagnostic tools as the exosome carries various protein biomarkers associated with a specific disease. In this review, we summarize recent progress on exosome composition, biological characterization, and isolation techniques. Finally, we outline the exosome's clinical applications and preclinical advancement to provide an outlook on the importance of exosomes for use in targeted drug delivery, biomarker study, and vaccine development.
外泌体是细胞来源的囊泡，包含多种活性生物分子，如蛋白质、脂质、mRNA、受体、免疫调节分子和核酸。它们的直径通常在 30 到 150nm 之间。外泌体表面可以通过抗体、荧光染料、肽等进行生物工程化修饰，以用于小分子和大生物活性药物的靶向投递。与其他基于聚合物的载体相比，外泌体具有增强的生物相容性、优异的载药能力和降低的免疫原性，因此在外泌体作为药物递送载体方面具有巨大的潜力。由于主动靶向和特异性，外泌体能够将其货物递送到外泌体受体细胞。此外，外泌体可以作为早期疾病诊断工具，因为外泌体携带与特定疾病相关的各种蛋白质生物标志物。在这篇综述中，我们总结了外泌体的组成、生物学特性和分离技术的最新进展。最后，我们概述了外泌体的临床应用和临床前进展，以展望外泌体在靶向药物递送、生物标志物研究和疫苗开发中的重要性。
