Harnessing the Therapeutic Potential of Exosomes: A Novel Strategy for Anticancer and Antiviral Therapy

Abstract

Exosomes are extracellular membrane bound vesicles released from almost all cell types and can be retrieved from all body fluids. The molecular constituents of these extracellular bodies vary depending on their cell of origin, from which they can transport molecules such as DNA, RNA, proteins lipids, and several metabolites. They have been shown to execute several functions such as in cell growth, migration, differentiation, neuronal signaling, immune cell modulation, and some diseases such as cancer through intercellular communication and signaling. They are also described to act as key players in viral persistence and dissemination. Due to their ability to elicit potent cellular responses, high level of tolerance in host cells, and high efficiency in penetrating other cells, they are proposed to be potential therapeutics as well as vehicles for drug delivery. In recent years, several studies have been conducted in quest for the development of an effective anticancer therapy or antiviral therapy against highly persistent viruses. However, most of these studies become halted due to failure to achieve desired therapeutic outcomes. Nevertheless, the in vitro/in vivo application of exosomes in tumor and infectious disease diagnosis and therapy is prospective. This review discusses the role of exosomes as predictive markers for immune activation and potential targets for anticancer/antiviral therapies.

Exosomes and ultrasound: The future of theranostic applications

“…αV integrins are one of the conserved membrane proteins expressed in most of the tumor cells [ 119 ]. Cyclic peptide, iRGD in malignant tumor has high affinity to the surface integrins of malignant tumors and a study involving the over expression of iRDG and Lamp2b on the surface of the immature dendritic cell (imDC) derived exosomes showed significant targeting to the breast cancer cells [ 172 ]. Doxorubicin loading into the imDC derived exosomal core has shown significant efficacy against breast cancer cells [ 120 ].…”