Recent decades have witnessed the fast and impressive development of nanocarriers as a drug delivery system. Considering the safety, delivery efficiency and stability of nanocarriers, there are many obstacles in accomplishing successful clinical translation of these nanocarrier-based drug delivery systems. The gap has urged drug delivery scientists to develop innovative nanocarriers with high compatibility, stability and longer circulation time. Exosomes are nanometer-sized, lipid-bilayer-enclosed extracellular vesicles secreted by many types of cells. Exosomes serving as versatile drug vehicles have attracted increasing attention due to their inherent ability of shuttling proteins, lipids and genes among cells and their natural affinity to target cells. Attractive features of exosomes, such as nanoscopic size, low immunogenicity, high biocompatibility, encapsulation of various cargoes and the ability to overcome biological barriers, distinguish them from other nanocarriers. To date, exosome-based nanocarriers delivering small molecule drugs as well as bioactive macromolecules have been developed for the treatment of many prevalent and obstinate diseases including cancer, CNS disorders and some other degenerative diseases. Exosome-based nanocarriers have a huge prospect in overcoming many hindrances encountered in drug and gene delivery. This review highlights the advances as well as challenges of exosome-based nanocarriers as drug vehicles. Special focus has been placed on the advantages of exosomes in delivering various cargoes and in treating obstinate diseases, aiming to offer new insights for exploring exosomes in the field of drug delivery.

Download full-text PDF

Source
http://dx.doi.org/10.1039/c9tb00170kDOI Listing

Publication Analysis

Top Keywords

drug delivery
20
exosome-based nanocarriers
16
drug
8
nanocarriers drug
8
drug vehicles
8
obstinate diseases
8
delivery
7
nanocarriers
7
exosomes
5
exosome-based
4

Similar Publications

Background: Aortic dissection occurs rarely during pregnancy but carries a significantly high vital risk for both the mother and the fetus. Early diagnosis and treatment are critical for a successful outcome.

Case Presentation: A 32-year-old pregnant woman at 31 weeks of gestation began experiencing shortness of breath, chest pain, and palpitations, which were attributed to an anxiety disorder she had been previously diagnosed with.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: The events of October 7, 2023, and the subsequent war have starkly exposed the shortcoming of Israel's public mental health system. This system, already strained by years of underfunding and the COVID-19 pandemic, was unprepared for the surge in mental health needs resulting from these traumatic events. This paper outlines the systemic failures and proposes a comprehensive overhaul reform towards an integrative community-based, recovery-oriented mental health service.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: The diagnosis of depression or anxiety treated by SSRIs has become relatively common in women of childbearing age. However, the impact of gestational SSRI treatment on newborn thyroid function is lacking. We explored the impact of gestational SSRI treatment on newborn thyroid function as measured by the National Newborn Screening (NBS) Program and identified contributory factors.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

pH-sensitive nano-drug delivery systems dual-target endothelial cells and macrophages for enhanced treatment of atherosclerosis.

Drug Deliv Transl Res

January 2025

Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, 646000, Sichuan, China.

Atherosclerosis (AS) is a chronic inflammatory disease characterized by vascular endothelial dysfunction. In the early stage of the disease, endothelial cell injury induces the infiltration of inflammatory macrophages, which secrete large amounts of inflammatory factors, further aggravating endothelial cell dysfunction and exacerbating the disease. Therefore, it is promising for co-targeting endothelial cells and macrophages further regulating the inflammatory microenvironment and endothelial cell function for effective treatment.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background And Objective: A gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) agonist such as leuprolide is widely used to achieve sustained suppression of testosterone levels, which play a critical role in the treatment of prostate cancer. Recent advances in drug delivery systems have led to the development of long-acting depot formulations, such as the 6-month intramuscular (IM) leuprolide formulation, which aim to simplify dosing and improve convenience for both patients and healthcare providers. Exploring extended dosing intervals for such formulations represents a promising approach to further optimize treatment regimens, potentially balancing efficacy with patient-centered care.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Want AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?

Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!