Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are nanoscale membrane vesicles
of
various sizes that can be secreted by most cells. EVs contain a diverse
array of cargo, including RNAs, lipids, proteins, and other molecules
with functions of intercellular communication, immune modulation,
and regulation of physiological and pathological processes. The biofluids
in the eye, including tears, aqueous humor, and vitreous humor, are
important sources for EV-based diagnosis of ocular disease. Because
the molecular cargos may reflect the biology of their parental cells,
EVs in these biofluids, as well as in the blood, have been recognized
as promising candidates as biomarkers for early diagnosis of ocular
disease. Moreover, EVs have also been used as therapeutics and targeted
drug delivery nanocarriers in many ocular disorders because of their
low immunogenicity and superior biocompatibility in nature. In this
review, we provide an overview of the recent advances in the field
of EV-based studies on the diagnosis and therapeutics of ocular disease.
We summarized the origins of EVs applied in ocular disease, assessed
different methods for EV isolation from ocular biofluid samples, highlighted
bioengineering strategies of EVs as drug delivery systems, introduced
the latest applications in the diagnosis and treatment of ocular disease,
and presented their potential in the current clinical trials. Finally,
we briefly discussed the challenges of EV-based studies in ocular
disease and some issues of concern for better focusing on clinical
translational studies of EVs in the future.