Exosomes have a rapid development of bio-nanoparticles for drug delivery and confluent advances in next-generation diagnostics, monitoring the progression of several diseases, and accurate guidance for therapy. Based on their prominent stability, cargo-carriage properties, stable circulating capability, and favorable safety profile, exosomes have great potential to regulate cellular communication by carrying variable cargoes into specific site. However, the specific loading strategies and modification methods for engineered exosomes to enhance the targeting ability are unclear. The clinical application of exosomes is still limited. In this review, we discuss both original and modified exosomes for loading specific therapeutic molecules (proteins, nucleic acids, and small molecules) and the design strategies used to target specific cells. This review can be used as a reference for further loading and modification strategies as well as for the therapeutic applications of exosomes.

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Iron dysregulation is associated with several diseases, including lung cancer, but the underlying mechanism is yet unknown. Iron directly binds CDK1, which is upregulated in several cancers, thereby promoting JAK1 phosphorylation and activation of STAT3 signaling to promote colorectal carcinogenesis. This study aimed to investigate the role of iron/CDK1/STAT3 signaling in lung carcinogenesis. We found that iron-dependent CDK1 activity upregulated IL-6 receptor subunit GP130 post-transcriptionally via phosphorylation of 4E-BP1, which is critical for activation of JAK/STAT3 signaling. CDK1 and STAT3 are essential for iron-mediated colony formation in lung cancer cell lines. CDK1 knockdown and iron chelator DFO decreased tumorigenicity and GP130/STAT3 signaling in vivo. Moreover, CDK1/GP130/STAT3 signaling were elevated in lung cancer tissues compared with adjacent normal lung tissues. Altogether, the present results suggest that CDK1 inhibition and iron deprivation are potential strategies to target GP130/STAT3 signaling to suppress lung cancer.