Exosomes as Drug Carriers for Cancer Therapy

A special issue of Pharmaceutics (ISSN 1999-4923). This special issue belongs to the section "Biologics and Biosimilars".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 10 May 2024 | Viewed by 6615

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Regenerative Medicine Laboratory, Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Genova, 16132 Genova, Italy
Interests: characterization of extracellular vesicles as theranostics; cardiotoxicity from cancer treatment; cardiac repair; paracrine communication; human perinatal stem cells
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Guest Editor
Department of Human Genetics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, Egyetem tér 1, H-4032 Debrecen, Hungary
Interests: clinical application of liquid biopsy; exosome isolation methods; quantitative measurement of exosomes; nucleic acid measurements from exosomes; nucleic acid (gDNA, mtDNA, miRNA and lncRNA) and cell-free nucleic acid isolation; gene expression measurement; comparison of nucleic acid isolation methods; studies in oncological and cardiovascular diseases

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Liquid biopsy has several advantages over conventional methods, as it is less invasive, easily obtainable, repeatable, less burdensome for the patient, and more applicable in the diagnosis of distinct diseases (such as oncological, neurological, cardiovascular, and infectious diseases). Early detection, characterization, and monitoring of cancer are possible by using extracellular vesicles (EVs), i.e., mainly exosomes isolated from liquid biopsy samples. Exosomes are packed with several molecules, such as nucleic acids, proteins, lipids, and metabolites. When these are released, they may affect the cell-to-cell communication, contributing to tumorigenesis, angiogenesis, metastasis, signal transduction, and immune responses. We may gather worthwhile information from exosomes to understand their role in the progression of cancer.  Several beneficial properties of exosomes make them promising therapeutic shuttle vesicles. Currently, the number of research works focusing on designed drugs or nucleic acids packed into exosomes has skyrocketed. Engineered exosome-based personalized medicine may be a new treatment option for cancer.

This Special Issue aims to address the latest research or new views on exosomes in the monitoring, characterization, and understanding of background mechanisms within cancer, as well as possible therapeutic applications for cancer therapy.

Prof. Dr. Sveva Bollini
Dr. Beáta Soltész
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • exosomes
  • extracellular vesicles
  • cancer
  • biomarker
  • non-invasive
  • liquid biopsy

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Review

17 pages, 1431 KiB  
Review
New Possible Ways to Use Exosomes in Diagnostics and Therapy via JAK/STAT Pathways
by Gréta Gombos, Nikolett Németh, Ondrej Pös, Jakub Styk, Gergely Buglyó, Tomas Szemes, Ludovit Danihel, Bálint Nagy, István Balogh and Beáta Soltész
Pharmaceutics 2023, 15(7), 1904; https://doi.org/10.3390/pharmaceutics15071904 - 07 Jul 2023
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1582
Abstract
Exosomes have the potential to be the future of personalized diagnostics and therapy. They are nano-sized particles between 30 and 100 nm flowing in the extracellular milieu, where they mediate cell–cell communication and participate in immune system regulation. Tumor-derived exosomes (TDEs) secreted from [...] Read more.
Exosomes have the potential to be the future of personalized diagnostics and therapy. They are nano-sized particles between 30 and 100 nm flowing in the extracellular milieu, where they mediate cell–cell communication and participate in immune system regulation. Tumor-derived exosomes (TDEs) secreted from different types of cancer cells are the key regulators of the tumor microenvironment. With their immune suppressive cargo, TDEs prevent the antitumor immune response, leading to reduced effectiveness of cancer treatment by promoting a pro-tumorigenic microenvironment. Involved signaling pathways take part in the regulation of tumor proliferation, differentiation, apoptosis, and angiogenesis. Signal transducers and activators of transcription factors (STATs) and Janus kinase (JAK) signaling pathways are crucial in malignancies and autoimmune diseases alike, and their potential to be manipulated is currently the focus of interest. In this review, we aim to discuss exosomes, TDEs, and the JAK/STAT pathways, along with mediators like interleukins, tripartite motif proteins, and interferons. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Exosomes as Drug Carriers for Cancer Therapy)
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24 pages, 2669 KiB  
Review
Exosomes: Diagnostic and Therapeutic Implications in Cancer
by Hyein Jo, Kyeonghee Shim and Dooil Jeoung
Pharmaceutics 2023, 15(5), 1465; https://doi.org/10.3390/pharmaceutics15051465 - 11 May 2023
Cited by 9 | Viewed by 2547
Abstract
Exosomes are a subset of extracellular vesicles produced by all cells, and they are present in various body fluids. Exosomes play crucial roles in tumor initiation/progression, immune suppression, immune surveillance, metabolic reprogramming, angiogenesis, and the polarization of macrophages. In this work, we summarize [...] Read more.
Exosomes are a subset of extracellular vesicles produced by all cells, and they are present in various body fluids. Exosomes play crucial roles in tumor initiation/progression, immune suppression, immune surveillance, metabolic reprogramming, angiogenesis, and the polarization of macrophages. In this work, we summarize the mechanisms of exosome biogenesis and secretion. Since exosomes may be increased in the cancer cells and body fluids of cancer patients, exosomes and exosomal contents can be used as cancer diagnostic and prognostic markers. Exosomes contain proteins, lipids, and nucleic acids. These exosomal contents can be transferred into recipient cells. Therefore, this work details the roles of exosomes and exosomal contents in intercellular communications. Since exosomes mediate cellular interactions, exosomes can be targeted for developing anticancer therapy. This review summarizes current studies on the effects of exosomal inhibitors on cancer initiation and progression. Since exosomal contents can be transferred, exosomes can be modified to deliver molecular cargo such as anticancer drugs, small interfering RNAs (siRNAs), and micro RNAs (miRNAs). Thus, we also summarize recent advances in developing exosomes as drug delivery platforms. Exosomes display low toxicity, biodegradability, and efficient tissue targeting, which make them reliable delivery vehicles. We discuss the applications and challenges of exosomes as delivery vehicles in tumors, along with the clinical values of exosomes. In this review, we aim to highlight the biogenesis, functions, and diagnostic and therapeutic implications of exosomes in cancer. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Exosomes as Drug Carriers for Cancer Therapy)
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21 pages, 957 KiB  
Review
Involvement of Bacterial Extracellular Membrane Nanovesicles in Infectious Diseases and Their Application in Medicine
by Konstantin A. Lusta, Anastasia V. Poznyak, Larisa Litvinova, Paolo Poggio, Alexander N. Orekhov and Alexandra A. Melnichenko
Pharmaceutics 2022, 14(12), 2597; https://doi.org/10.3390/pharmaceutics14122597 - 25 Nov 2022
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1811
Abstract
Bacterial extracellular membrane nanovesicles (EMNs) are attracting the attention of scientists more and more every year. These formations are involved in the pathogenesis of numerous diseases, among which, of course, the leading role is occupied by infectious diseases, the causative agents of which [...] Read more.
Bacterial extracellular membrane nanovesicles (EMNs) are attracting the attention of scientists more and more every year. These formations are involved in the pathogenesis of numerous diseases, among which, of course, the leading role is occupied by infectious diseases, the causative agents of which are a range of Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. A separate field for the study of the role of EMN is cancer. Extracellular membrane nanovesicles nowadays have a practical application as vaccine carriers for immunization against many infectious diseases. At present, the most essential point is their role in stimulating immune response to bacterial infections and tumor cells. The possibility of nanovesicles’ practical use in several disease treatments is being evaluated. In our review, we listed diseases, focusing on their multitude and diversity, for which EMNs are essential, and also considered in detail the possibilities of using EMNs in the therapy and prevention of various pathologies. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Exosomes as Drug Carriers for Cancer Therapy)
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