Aug 2026· Therapeutic delivery· pp.
1-40
· 0 citations
Medicine
TL;DR
This review highlights recent advances in exosome biology, cargo-sorting mechanisms, and engineering strategies designed to enhance therapeutic delivery and targeting within the central nervous system and discusses how exosomes compare with conventional delivery platforms and critically examine the major barriers limiting their clinical translation.
The blood–brain barrier (BBB) remains a major biological obstacle limiting the effective delivery of therapeutics for central nervous system (CNS) disorders. Although conventional drug delivery approaches have achieved continuous advances, their clinical translation is frequently restricted by limited brain penetration, insufficient target specificity, and systemic adverse effects. Exosomes, endogenous extracellular vesicles (EVs) involved in intercellular communication, have emerged as promising candidates for CNS therapeutic delivery owing to their favorable biocompatibility, relatively low immunogenicity, and potential ability to interact with biological barriers. In this review, we first summarize the structural characteristics of the BBB and the mechanisms underlying exosome–BBB interactions and transport. We then discuss current strategies for exosome isolation, characterization, and engineering, highlighting how these approaches influence therapeutic performance and translational feasibility. Subsequently, we analyze recent advances in exosome-based therapies for major CNS disorders, including neurodegenerative diseases, brain tumors, and ischemic stroke, with emphasis on how distinct pathological environments guide the design of exosome cargos, targeting strategies, and functional modifications. Finally, we discuss key challenges associated with clinical translation, including manufacturing standardization, pharmacokinetic evaluation, safety assessment, and regulatory considerations. This review provides a pathology-driven and engineering-guided perspective for understanding the rational design and future development of exosome-based therapeutics for CNS disorders.
Qinzhen Cheng, Yalan Zhu, Shiwen Lv et al.· Bioactive Materials· 0 citations
Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases are devastating brain disorders. The complex pathophysiology of the diseases and the lack of effective treatments have left them almost unexplored and untreatable. One potential approach to PD and AD therapy development is through exosomes, a delivery system that can be translated from innovative delivery techniques into clinical use. These exosome-based therapeutics will require thorough testing, research-driven refinement of engineering methods, and collaboration among scientists, clinicians, and industry to develop exosome therapeutics for clinical use. This review explores the biological properties of exosomes, recent engineering advances to improve their therapeutic potential, and new methods to leverage their versatility for selective delivery of remedial agents to the brain. In addition, preclinical evidence demonstrates that exosomes can modulate amyloid-β aggregation, α-synuclein pathology, neuroinflammation, and mitochondrial dysfunction. Yet difficulties related to mass production, maintaining quality, and obtaining regulatory approvals to bring them into clinical practice remain significant limiting factors. The authors point out the therapeutic advantages and drawbacks of exosome-based drug delivery systems. Besides, it provides a roadmap for harnessing these methods effectively as medical interventions for Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disorders, thereby promoting more studies in the area. Finally, we outline a conceptual model for translating novel exosome-based delivery methods into clinically applicable treatment modalities for Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases, thereby encouraging continued exploration in this promising field of research.
M. Abubakar, Ritu Dahiya, Lokesh Nama et al.· CNS and Neurological Disorde...· 0 citations
Exosomes represent a promising class of naturally produced nanoparticles that exist at the nanoscale and carry a negative surface charge under physiological conditions. These tiny membranebound vesicles are released by cells throughout the body and function as biological messengers, transporting various molecular cargos between cells and facilitating critical cell-to-cell communication pathways. Existing therapies for neurodegenerative disorders face two critical barriers: they cannot precisely target the affected brain areas, and the blood-brain barrier blocks most potential treatments from entering the brain. Exosomes offer a promising solution to these challenges. Unlike most synthetic drug delivery systems that struggle to penetrate the brain's protective barrier, these naturally derived nanocarriers exhibit an inherent capacity to traverse the blood-brain barrier. This unique property, combined with their capacity for efficient intracellular delivery of therapeutic payloads, positions exosomes as an exciting platform for transporting pharmaceutical agents to the affected neural tissues. Through strategic engineering and modification, these vesicles can be transformed into highly precise delivery vehicles capable of targeting specific organs, tissues, or even individual cell types. This review explores the therapeutic potential and drug delivery applications of exosomes in the management of major neurodegenerative disorders. This review provides an in-depth examination of exosome biogenesis, current isolation methodologies, and surface engineering strategies, while critically evaluating the strengths and limitations of each approach. In addition, this review summarizes the current preclinical models and provides an overview of ongoing clinical trials investigating exosome-based therapies for neurological disorders.
Sourin Bhukta, N. Palei, Vishakha Jaiswal et al.· CNS and Neurological Disorde...· 0 citations
This review highlights the biological characteristics, biogenesis, sources, isolation, purification, and characterization techniques of exosomes, and summarizes the applications of exosome-based drug delivery in cancer, neurological disorders, cardiovascular diseases,inflammatory conditions, infectious diseases, regenerative medicine, and gene therapy.
Snehal Dasharath Pawar, Anis Fathima M S, Nikitha A C et al.· The Bioscan· 0 citations
Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are naturally occurring nanoscale carriers that have gained attention as next-generation platforms for diagnostics, site-specific drug delivery, and tissue engineering owing to their high biocompatibility, minimal immunogenicity, and capacity to transport diverse bioactive cargo across biological barriers. This review discusses the classification, biogenesis, molecular constituents, and therapeutic properties of the major EV subtypes such as exosomes, microvesicles, and apoptotic bodies. It also highlights recent advances in EV engineering for cancer treatment, emphasizing immune modulation and targeted therapeutic delivery. Particular attention is given to plant-derived EVs, which have shown promise as scalable, low-toxicity nanotherapeutics with inherent bioactivity and effective drug delivery potential. Selected preclinical studies, recent patents, and ongoing clinical trials are also summarized, providing an up-to-date perspective on the clinical translation of EV-based technologies. Current challenges in EV isolation, characterization, scalable manufacturing, cargo loading, standardization, and regulatory approval, along with future directions for clinical translation, are summarized. Collectively, this review summarizes the growing applicability of EVs as next-generation platforms for precision medicine, targeted drug delivery, and regenerative therapies while identifying the major obstacles that must be addressed to facilitate their successful clinical translation.
Shery Jacob, Namitha Raichel Varkey, S. Boddu et al.· Pharmaceutics· 0 citations
Exosomes are small extracellular vesicles (30–150 nm) secreted by most cell types, carrying proteins, lipids, and nucleic acids that mediate intercellular communication. Their natural biocompatibility, low immunogenicity, ability to cross biological barriers, and intrinsic targeting properties have attracted intense interest for therapeutic and drug delivery applications. Exosomes can be loaded with small molecules, proteins, or nucleic acids and engineered to display targeting ligands, enabling precise delivery to specific tissues or cells. This review critically examines the current state of exosome-based therapeutics, focusing on isolation methods, engineering strategies, and clinical translation through early 2024. Isolation techniques include ultracentrifugation, size-exclusion chromatography, and microfluidic approaches, each with trade-offs in purity, yield, and scalability. Engineering strategies encompass cargo loading via electroporation, sonication, or co-incubation, and surface modification using chemical conjugation or genetic fusion. Preclinical studies have demonstrated therapeutic potential in oncology, cardiovascular disease, neurological disorders, and regenerative medicine. Several clinical trials are evaluating exosomes, including mesenchymal stem cell-derived exosomes for COVID-19 and graft-versus-host disease, and plant-derived exosomes for drug delivery. Challenges include heterogeneity, scalable manufacturing, batch-to-batch reproducibility, regulatory classification, and biodistribution. Future directions include standardized isolation and characterization, improved cargo loading efficiency, and development of allogeneic off-the-shelf products. Exosome-based therapeutics hold promise, but rigorous quality control and clinical evidence are required.
Unknown authors· Global Journal of Research i...· 0 citations
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