Chapter 11 - Extracellular vesicles as a recipe for design smart drug delivery systems for cancer therapy

Abstract

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are secreted by most cell types and appear ubiquitously in cell culture supernatants and body fluids. EVs are efficient mediators of cell-cell communication, once the key molecules players (e.g., proteins, lipids, RNA, and DNA) are cargoes of EVs and transferred to recipient cells. Based on that, and considering the ability of EVs to cross natural barriers (such as membranes), their inherent cell targeting properties, and stability in the circulation, the utilization of EVs as drug delivery system has gained scientific interest. For instance, EVs have been engineered to incorporate therapeutic miRNAs, siRNAs, or chemotherapeutic agents. Furthermore, examples of protein delivery by exosomes for therapeutic benefit in preclinical models include catalase, prodrug activating enzymes, caspase-1. Despite the potential of EVs as drug delivery, there is still a long way to reach the clinical application. This chapter will focus on the recent progress and challenges in the engineering of exosomes as drug delivery vehicles.