A novel platform for cancer therapy using extracellular vesicles.
Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are nanometer-sized membranous vesicles and are involved in cell-to-cell communication. EVs contain several types of functional molecules, such as proteins, mRNAs, and microRNAs (miRNAs). Over the past several years, EVs have emerged as potential tools for a drug delivery system (DDS) that can target organs or cells. EVs have a function of organ tropism and are naturally occurring from cells. Therefore, EVs have expected as naturally DDSs, which have the organ tropism and a low side effect. Actually, some reports showed that EVs delivered drugs to specific organ. However, despite observed the organ tropism, the mechanisms of organ tropism of EVs are still unclear. Moreover, preservation and efficient collection of EVs are desired to be investigated. Here, we provide an overview of the methods for using EVs as DDSs.
Division of Molecular and Cellular Medicine, National Cancer Center Research Institute, Tokyo, Japan; Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan; Research Fellow of the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS), Tokyo, Japan.
Naoomi
N
Tominaga
Division of Molecular and Cellular Medicine, National Cancer Center Research Institute, Tokyo, Japan.
Yusuke
Y
Yoshioka
Division of Molecular and Cellular Medicine, National Cancer Center Research Institute, Tokyo, Japan. Electronic address: tochiya@ncc.go.jp.
Takahiro
T
Ochiya
D000818:Animals; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D016503:Drug Delivery Systems; D000067128:Extracellular Vesicles; D006801:Humans; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism; D014018:Tissue Distribution
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents
Biodistribution; Cancer; Cell–cell communication; Drug delivery system; Exosome; Extracellular vesicles; microRNA