Extracellular vesicles as a next-generation drug delivery platform

Herrmann IK, Wood MJA, Fuhrmann G (2021)

Publication Type: Journal article, Review article

Publication year: 2021

Journal

Nature Nanotechnology Nature Publishing Group

DOI: 10.1038/s41565-021-00931-2

Abstract

Extracellular-vesicle-based cell-to-cell communication is conserved across all kingdoms of life. There is compelling evidence that extracellular vesicles are involved in major (patho)physiological processes, including cellular homoeostasis, infection propagation, cancer development and cardiovascular diseases. Various studies suggest that extracellular vesicles have several advantages over conventional synthetic carriers, opening new frontiers for modern drug delivery. Despite extensive research, clinical translation of extracellular-vesicle-based therapies remains challenging. Here, we discuss the uniqueness of extracellular vesicles along with critical design and development steps required to utilize their full potential as drug carriers, including loading methods, in-depth characterization and large-scale manufacturing. We compare the prospects of extracellular vesicles with those of the well established liposomes and provide guidelines to direct the process of developing vesicle-based drug delivery systems.

Authors with CRIS profile

Gregor Fuhrmann

Involved external institutions

University of Oxford GB United Kingdom (GB) Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule Zürich (ETHZ) / Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich CH Switzerland (CH) Helmholtz-Institut für Pharmazeutische Forschung Saarland (HIPS) DE Germany (DE)

How to cite

APA:

Herrmann, I.K., Wood, M.J.A., & Fuhrmann, G. (2021). Extracellular vesicles as a next-generation drug delivery platform. Nature Nanotechnology. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41565-021-00931-2

MLA:

Herrmann, Inge Katrin, Matthew John Andrew Wood, and Gregor Fuhrmann. "Extracellular vesicles as a next-generation drug delivery platform." Nature Nanotechnology (2021).

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