Different Sourced Extracellular Vesicles and Their Potential Applications in Clinical Treatments

Abstract

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) include a heterogeneous group of natural cell-derived nanostructures that are increasingly regarded as promising biotherapeutic agents and drug delivery vehicles in human medicine. Desirable intrinsic properties of EVs including the ability to bypass natural membranous barriers and to deliver their unique biomolecular cargo to specific cell populations position them as fiercely competitive alternatives for currently available cell therapies and artificial drug delivery platforms. EVs with distinct characteristics can be released from various cell types into the extracellular environment as a means of transmitting bioactive components and altering the status of the target cell. Despite the existence of a large number of preclinical studies confirming the therapeutic efficacy of different originated EVs for treating several pathological conditions, in this review, we first provide a brief overview of EV biophysical properties with an emphasis on their intrinsic therapeutic benefits over cell-based therapies and synthetic delivery systems. Next, we describe in detail different EVs derived from distinct cell sources, compare their advantages and disadvantages, and recapitulate their therapeutic effects on various human disorders to highlight the progress made in harnessing EVs for clinical applications. Finally, knowledge gaps and concrete hurdles that currently hinder the clinical translation of EV therapies are debated with a futuristic perspective.

Extracellular vesicles and their cells of origin: Open issues in autoimmune diseases

“…Some applications focus on their ability to pass through blood barriers or other unique properties versus the cells or other synthetic nano-carriers ( 261 , 356 ). As non-toxic nano-carriers, EVs demonstrated better pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics features (absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion) than synthetic nano-carriers ( 140 , 141 , 357 ). This may pave the way for application of EVs as the smart carrier for conventional drugs in the context of autoimmune diseases ( 267 ).…”

Extracellular Vesicles Produced by the Cardiac Microenvironment Carry Functional Enzymes to Produce Lipid Mediators In Situ

“…Recently, review articles reported about EVs obtained from different sources and considered their therapeutic potentials [ 18 ]. The therapeutic activity of EVs is principally attributed to their cargo (miRNA, DNA, proteins and lipids), which is reported as dependent on the parent cell type and state [ 19 ].…”

Extracellular Vesicles from Ocular Melanoma Have Pro-Fibrotic and Pro-Angiogenic Properties on the Tumor Microenvironment

“…EVs play an active part in the dissemination and the engraftment of metastatic cells by increasing endothelial permeability and neoangiogenesis, and by reprogramming stromal cells, which modify the extracellular matrix composition and architecture [ 18 , 19 , 34 , 35 , 36 , 37 ]. We hypothesized that tumor-derived EVs may influence the vasculature and prime the liver for metastatic growth by activating stellate cells in the pre-metastatic niche, leading to pro-fibrogenic properties.…”