title: Extracellular vesicles for drug delivery.
abstract: Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are cell-derived membrane vesicles, and represent an endogenous mechanism for intercellular communication. Since the discovery that EVs are capable of functionally transferring biological information, the potential use of EVs as drug delivery vehicles has gained considerable scientific interest. EVs may have multiple advantages over currently available drug delivery vehicles, such as their ability to overcome natural barriers, their intrinsic cell targeting properties, and stability in the circulation. However, therapeutic applications of EVs as drug delivery systems have been limited due to a lack of methods for scalable EV isolation and efficient drug loading. Furthermore, in order to achieve targeted drug delivery, their intrinsic cell targeting properties should be tuned through EV engineering. Here, we review and discuss recent progress and remaining challenges in the development of EVs as drug delivery vehicles.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Chemistry and Hematology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Heidelberglaan 100, 3584 CX Utrecht, The Netherlands. Electronic address: pvader@umcutrecht.nl.
authors.forename: Pieter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Vader
authors.affiliation: Department of Experimental Cardiology, University Medical Center Utrecht, the Netherlands, Heidelberglaan 100, 3584 CX Utrecht, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Emma A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Mol
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Chemistry and Hematology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Heidelberglaan 100, 3584 CX Utrecht, The Netherlands; Department of Experimental Cardiology, University Medical Center Utrecht, the Netherlands, Heidelberglaan 100, 3584 CX Utrecht, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Gerard
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Pasterkamp
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Chemistry and Hematology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Heidelberglaan 100, 3584 CX Utrecht, The Netherlands. Electronic address: r.schiffelers@umcutrecht.nl.
authors.forename: Raymond M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Schiffelers
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004337:Drug Carriers / Q000378:metabolism; D016503:Drug Delivery Systems / Q000379:methods*; D000067128:Extracellular Vesicles / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans
chemical_list: D004337:Drug Carriers
keywords: Extracellular vesicles; biodistribution; drug delivery; exosomes; isolation; microvesicles; nanomedicine; targeting