Exosomes: special nano-therapeutic carrier for cancers, overview on anticancer drugs

Isolation, characterization and therapeutic potentials of exosomes in lung cancer: Opportunities and challenges

Lung cancer (LC) signifies the primary cause of cancer-related mortality, representing 24 % of all cancer fatalities. LC is intricate and necessitates innovative approaches for early detection, precise diagnosis, and tailored treatment. Exosomes (EXOs), a subclass of extracellular vesicles (EVs), are integral to LC advancement, intercellular communication, tumor spread, and resistance to anticancer therapies. EXOs represent a viable drug delivery strategy owing to their distinctive biological characteristics, such as natural origin, biocompatibility, stability in blood circulation, minimal immunogenicity, and potential for modification. They can function as vehicles for targeted pharmaceuticals and facilitate the advancement of targeted therapeutics. EXOs are pivotal in the metastatic cascade, facilitating communication between cancer cells and augmenting their invasive capacity. Nonetheless, obstacles such as enhancing cargo loading efficiency, addressing homogeneity concerns during preparation, and facilitating large-scale clinical translation persist. Interdisciplinary collaboration in research is crucial for enhancing the efficacy of EXOs drug delivery systems. This review explores the role of EXOs in LC, their potential as therapeutic agents, and challenges in their development, aiming to advance targeted treatments. Future research should concentrate on engineering optimization and developing innovative EXOs to improve flexibility and effectiveness in clinical applications.

Exosomes as Biomarkers and Therapeutic Agents in Neurodegenerative Diseases: Current Insights and Future Directions

Neurodegenerative diseases (NDs) like Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and ALS rank among the most challenging global health issues, marked by substantial obstacles in early diagnosis and effective treatment. Current diagnostic techniques frequently demonstrate inadequate sensitivity and specificity, whilst conventional treatment strategies encounter challenges related to restricted bioavailability and insufficient blood-brain barrier (BBB) permeability. Recently, exosomes-nanoscale vesicles packed with proteins, RNAs, and lipids-have emerged as promising agents with the potential to reshape diagnostic and therapeutic approaches to these diseases. Unlike conventional drug carriers, they naturally traverse the BBB and can deliver bioactive molecules to affected neural cells. Their molecular cargo can influence cell signaling, reduce neuroinflammation, and potentially slow neurodegenerative progression. Moreover, exosomes serve as non-invasive biomarkers, enabling early and precise diagnosis while allowing real-time disease monitoring. Additionally, engineered exosomes, loaded with therapeutic molecules, enhance this capability by targeting diseased neurons and overcoming conventional treatment barriers. By offering enhanced specificity, reduced immunogenicity, and an ability to bypass physiological limitations, exosome-based strategies present a transformative advantage over existing diagnostic and therapeutic approaches. This review examines the multifaceted role of exosomes in NDDs, emphasizing their diagnostic capabilities, intrinsic therapeutic functions, and transformative potential as advanced treatment vehicles.

The miRNA-mRNA Regulatory Network in Human Hepatocellular Carcinoma by Transcriptomic Analysis From GEO

BACKGROUND

Bioinformatics analysis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) expression profiles can aid in understanding its molecular mechanisms and identifying new targets for diagnosis and treatment.

AIM

In this study, we analyzed expression profile datasets and miRNA expression profiles related to HCC from the GEO using R software to detect differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and differentially expressed miRNAs (DEmiRs).

METHODS AND RESULTS

Common DEGs were identified, and a PPI network was constructed using the STRING database and Cytoscape software to identify hub genes. The reduced levels of tumor suppressor miRNAs or down regulated DEmiRs may be increased levels of oncogenes, the oncomirs or up regulated DEmiRs may be decreased levels of tumor suppressor genes in cancerous cells. According to this strategy, increased and decreased DEGs, also increased and decreased DEmiRs were selected. The multimir package was employed to predict target genes for DEmiRs then DEmiRs-hub gene network created. We identified approximately 1000 overlapping DEGs and 60 DEmiRs. Hub genes included RRM2, MELK, KIF11, KIF23, NCAPG, DLGAP5, BUB1B, AURKB, CCNB1, KIF20A, CCNA2, TTK, PBK, TOP2A, CDK1, MAD2L1, BIRC5, ASPM, CDCA8, and CENPF, all associated with significantly worse survival in HCC. miR-224, miR-24, miR-182, miRNA-1-3p, miR-30a, miR-27a, and miR-214 were identified as important DEmiRs with targeting more than six hub genes.

CONCLUSION

Generally, our findings offer insight into the interaction of hub genes and miRNAs in the development of HCC by bioinformatics analysis, information that may prove useful in identifying biomarkers and therapeutic targets in HCC.

Engineered extracellular vesicles for combinatorial TNBC therapy: SR-SIM-guided design achieves substantial drug dosage reduction

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is an aggressive subtype of breast cancer that has no therapeutic targets, relies on chemotherapeutics for treatment, and is in dire need of novel therapeutic approaches for improved patient outcomes. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) serve as intercellular communicators and have been proposed as ideal drug delivery vehicles. Here, EVs were engineered with RNA nanotechnology to develop TNBC tumor inhibitors. Using super resolved-structured illumination microscopy, EVs were optimized for precise Survivin small interfering RNA (siRNA) conjugated to chemotherapeutics loading and CD44 aptamer ligand decoration, thereby enhancing specificity toward TNBC cells. Conventional treatments typically employ chemotherapy drugs gemcitabine (GEM) and paclitaxel (PTX) at dosages on the order of mg/kg respectively, per injection (intravenous) in mice. In contrast, engineered EVs encapsulating these drugs saw functional tumor growth inhibition at significantly reduced concentrations: 2.2 μg/kg for GEM or 5.6 μg/kg for PTX, in combination with 21.5 μg/kg survivin-siRNA in mice. The result is a substantial decrease in the chemotherapeutic dose required, by orders of magnitude, compared with standard regimens. In vivo and in vitro evaluations in a TNBC orthotopic xenograft mouse model demonstrated the efficacy of this decreased dosage strategy, indicating the potential for decreased chemotherapy-associated toxicity.

A novel cell-free therapy using exosomes in the inner ear regeneration

Cellular and molecular alterations associated with hearing loss are now better understood with advances in molecular biology. These changes indicate the participation of distinct damage and stress pathways that are unlikely to be fully addressed by conventional pharmaceutical treatment. Sensorineural hearing loss is a common and debilitating condition for which comprehensive pharmacologic intervention is not available. The complex and diverse molecular pathology that underlies hearing loss currently limits our ability to intervene with small molecules. The present review focuses on the potential for the use of extracellular vesicles in otology. It examines a variety of inner ear diseases and hearing loss that may be treatable using exosomes (EXOs). The role of EXOs as carriers for the treatment of diseases related to the inner ear as well as EXOs as biomarkers for the recognition of diseases related to the ear is discussed.

Exosome-loaded decellularized tissue: Opening a new window for regenerative medicine

Mesenchymal stem cell-derived exosomes (MSCs-EXO) have received a lot of interest recently as a potential therapeutic tool in regenerative medicine. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) known as exosomes (EXOs) are crucial for cell-cell communication throughout a variety of activities including stress response, aging, angiogenesis, and cell differentiation. Exploration of the potential use of EXOs as essential therapeutic effectors of MSCs to encourage tissue regeneration was motivated by success in the field of regenerative medicine. EXOs have been administered to target tissues using a variety of methods, including direct, intravenous, intraperitoneal injection, oral delivery, and hydrogel-based encapsulation, in various disease models. Despite the significant advances in EXO therapy, various methods are still being researched to optimize the therapeutic applications of these nanoparticles, and it is not completely clear which approach to EXO administration will have the greatest effects. Here, we will review emerging developments in the applications of EXOs loaded into decellularized tissues as therapeutic agents for use in regenerative medicine in various tissues.

Prospects of plant-derived exosome-like nanocarriers in oncology and tissue engineering

Almost all cell types, either in vivo or in vitro, create extracellular vesicles (EVs). Among them are exosomes (EXOs), i.e., tiny nanovesicles containing a lipid bilayer, proteins, and RNAs that are actively involved in cellular communication, indicating that they may be exploited as both diagnostics and therapeutics for conditions like cancer. These nanoparticles can also be used as nanocarriers in many types of research to carry agents such as drugs. Plant-derived exosome-like nanoparticles (PENs) are currently under investigation as a substitute for EXOs formed from mammalian cells, allowing researchers to get beyond the technical constraints of mammalian vesicles. Because of their physiological, chemical, and biological properties, PENs have a lot of promise for use as nanocarriers in drug delivery systems that can deliver various dosages, especially when it comes to large-scale repeatability. The present study has looked at the origins and isolation techniques of PENs, their anticancer properties, their usage as nanocarriers in the treatment of different illnesses, and their antioxidant properties. These nanoparticles can aid in the achievement of therapeutic objectives, as they have benign, non-immunogenic side effects and can pass biological barriers. Time-consuming and perhaps damaging PEN separation techniques is used. For the current PEN separation techniques to be used in commercial and therapeutic settings, they must be altered. In this regard, the concurrent application of biological sciences can be beneficial for improving PEN separation techniques. PENs' innate metabolic properties provide them a great deal of promise for application in drug delivery systems. However, there could be a risk to both the loaded medications and the intrinsic bioactive components if these particles are heavily armed with drugs. Therefore, to prevent these side effects, more studies are needed to devise sophisticated drug-loading procedures and to learn more about the physiology of PENs.

Global research trends in tumor stem cell-derived exosomes and tumor microenvironment: visualization biology analysis

BANKGROUND

The tumor microenvironment (TME) is an internal environment composed of various cells and an extracellular matrix. Cancer stem cell-derived exosomes (CSC-Exos), as essential messengers involved in various tumor processes, are important carriers for bidirectional communication between the tumor microenvironment and tumor cells and play an important role in the tumor microenvironment. Nevertheless, few bibliometric analyses have been systematically studied in this field.

METHODS

Therefore, we aimed to visualize the research hotspots and trends in this field through bibliometrics to comprehend the future evolution of fundamental and clinical research, as well as to offer insightful information and fresh viewpoints. The Scopus database was used to search the research literature related to exosomes and tumor microenvironments after the establishment of this repository. CiteSpace (version 5.8.R3) and VOSviewer (version 1.6.16) were used for visualization and analysis.

RESULTS

In this study, a total of 2077 articles and reviews were included, with the number of articles on exosomes and tumor microenvironments significantly increasing yearly. Recent trends showed that the potential value of exosomes as "tumor diagnostics" and "the application prospect of exosomes as therapeutic agents and drug delivery carriers" will receive more attention in the future.

CONCLUSIONS

We revealed the current status and hotspots of tumor stem cell-derived exosomes and tumor microenvironments globally through bibliometrics. The prospect of the regulatory role of CSC-Exos in TME, the potential value of diagnosis, and the application of drug delivery vectors will all remain cutting-edge research areas in the field of tumor therapy. Meanwhile, this study provided a functional literature analysis for related researchers.

Stem cells and exosomes: as biological agents in the diagnosis and treatment of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)

A typical condition of the female reproductive system is polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Hyperinsulinemia, insulin resistance, obesity, and hyperandrogenism are just a few of the metabolic abnormalities linked to this disease. Type 2 diabetes, hypertension, and cardiovascular disease are further issues related to PCOS. One consequence of this syndrome for which numerous treatment procedures have been developed is infertility. Metformin and clomiphene, two common allopathic medications used to treat PCOS, both have drawbacks and are ineffective. It is vital to seek novel therapeutic modalities to address these constraints. Exosomes (EXOs) are a particular class of extracellular vesicles that cells release, and they are known to play a significant role in mediating intercellular communication. A wide range of cargo, including lipids, proteins, mRNA, miRNAs, and numerous other noncoding RNAs, are contained in the nanoscale lipid bilayer exosomes. The cytokine effects of stem cells and EXOs derived from them enable the defense against metabolic diseases like PCOS. Moreover, EXO microRNAs can potentially be employed as biomarkers in the detection and management of PCOS. In this study, the potential of stem cells and exosomes are specifically investigated in the diagnosis and treatment of PCOS as one of the diseases of the female reproductive system.

Exosome-loaded scaffolds for regenerative medicine in hard tissues

Tissue engineering can be used to repair tissue by employing bioscaffolds that provide better spatial control, porosity, and a three-dimensional (3D) environment like the human body. Optimization of injectability, biocompatibility, bioactivity, and controlled drug release are also features of such scaffolds. The 3D shape of the scaffold can control cell interaction and improve cell migration, proliferation, and differentiation. Exosomes (EXOs) are nanovesicles that can regulate osteoblast activity and proliferation using a complex composition of lipids, proteins, and nucleic acids in their vesicles. Due to their excellent biocompatibility and efficient cellular internalization, EXOs have enormous potential as desirable drug/gene delivery vectors in the field of regenerative medicine. They can cross the biological barrier with minimal immunogenicity and side effects. Scaffolds that contain EXOs have been studied extensively in both basic and preclinical settings for the regeneration and repair of both hard (bone, cartilage) and soft (skin, heart, liver, kidney) tissue. Cell motility, proliferation, phenotype, and maturation can all be controlled by EXOs. The angiogenic and anti-inflammatory properties of EXOs significantly influence tissue healing. The current study focused on the use of EXO-loaded scaffolds in hard tissue regeneration.

The Emerging Role of Exosomal miRNAs as Biomarkers for Early Cancer Detection: A Comprehensive Literature Review

A significant number of cancer-related deaths are recorded globally each year, despite attempts to cure this illness. Medical science is working to develop new medication therapies as well as to find ways to identify this illness as early as possible, even using noninvasive techniques. Early detection of cancer can greatly aid its treatment. Studies into cancer diagnosis and therapy have recently shifted their focus to exosome (EXO) biomarkers, which comprise numerous RNA and proteins. EXOs are minuscule goblet vesicles that have a width of 30 to 140 nm and are released by a variety of cells, including immune, stem, and tumor cells, as well as bodily fluids. According to a growing body of research, EXOs, and cancer appear to be related. EXOs from tumors play a role in the genetic information transfer between tumor and basal cells, which controls angiogenesis and fosters tumor development and spread. To identify malignant activities early on, microRNAs (miRNAs) from cancers can be extracted from circulatory system EXOs. Specific markers can be used to identify cancer-derived EXOs containing miRNAs, which may be more reliable and precise for early detection. Conventional solid biopsy has become increasingly limited as precision and personalized medicine has advanced, while liquid biopsy offers a viable platform for noninvasive diagnosis and prognosis. Therefore, the use of body fluids such as serum, plasma, urine, and salivary secretions can help find cancer biomarkers using technologies related to EXOs.