title: Exosomes: Nanoparticulate tools for RNA interference and drug delivery.
abstract: Exosomes are naturally occurring extracellular vesicles released by most mammalian cells in all body fluids. Exosomes are known as key mediators in cell-cell communication and facilitate the transfer of genetic and biochemical information between distant cells. Structurally, exosomes are composed of lipids, proteins, and also several types of RNAs which enable these vesicles to serve as important disease biomarkers. Moreover, exosomes have emerged as novel drug and gene delivery tools owing to their multiple advantages over conventional delivery systems. Recently, increasing attention has been focused on exosomes for the delivery of drugs, including therapeutic recombinant proteins, to various target tissues. Exosomes are also promising vehicles for the delivery of microRNAs and small interfering RNAs, which is usually hampered by rapid degradation of these RNAs, as well as inefficient tissue specificity of currently available delivery strategies. This review highlights the most recent accomplishments and trends in the use of exosomes for the delivery of drugs and therapeutic RNA molecules.
authors.affiliation: National Cell Bank of Iran, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Fahimeh
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Shahabipour
authors.affiliation: Biotechnology Research Center, School of Pharmacy, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.
authors.forename: Nastaran
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Barati
authors.affiliation: Division of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, University of Missouri-Kansas City, Kansas City, Missouri.
authors.forename: Thomas P
authors.initials: TP
authors.lastname: Johnston
authors.affiliation: Center for the Study of Endocrine-Metabolic Pathophysiology and Clinical Research, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy.|Department of Internal Medicine and Therapeutics, University of Pavia and Fondazione IRCCS Policlinico S. Matteo, Pavia, Italy.
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Derosa
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine and Therapeutics, University of Pavia and Fondazione IRCCS Policlinico S. Matteo, Pavia, Italy.
authors.forename: Pamela
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Maffioli
authors.affiliation: Biotechnology Research Center, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.|Metabolic Research Centre, Royal Perth Hospital, School of Medicine and Pharmacology, University of Western Australia, Perth, Australia.
authors.forename: Amirhossein
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sahebkar
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004337:Drug Carriers / Q000737:chemistry; D016503:Drug Delivery Systems; D055354:Exosomes / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D053758:Nanoparticles / Q000737:chemistry*; D034622:RNA Interference; D014612:Vaccines / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D004337:Drug Carriers; D014612:Vaccines
keywords: drug delivery; exosome; miRNA; siRNA; vesicle