Title:Exosome-like Nanoparticles: A New Type of Nanocarrier
Volume: 27
Issue: 23
Author(s): Mário Fernandes, Ivo Lopes, José Teixeira, Cláudia Botelho and Andreia C. Gomes*
Affiliation:
- Centre of Molecular and Environmental Biology (CBMA), Universidade do Minho, Campus de Gualtar, 4710-057 Braga,Portugal
Keywords:
Nanoparticles, exosomes, exosome-like nanoparticles, nanomedicine, drug delivery, extracellular vesicles,
exosome mimetics.
Abstract: Nanoparticles are one of the most commonly used systems for imaging or therapeutic drug
delivery. Exosomes are nanovesicular carriers that transport cargo for intercellular communication.
These nanovesicles are linked to the pathology of some major diseases, in some cases with a central role
in their progression. The use of these carriers to transport therapeutic drugs is a recent and promising
approach to treat diseases such as cancer and Alzheimer disease. The physiological production of these
structures is limited impairing its collection and subsequent purification. These drawbacks inspired the
search for mimetic alternatives. The collection of exosome-like nanoparticles from plants can be a good
alternative, since they are easier to extract and do not have the drawbacks of those produced in animal
cells. Both natural and synthetic exosome-like nanoparticles, produced from serial extrusion of cells or
by bottom up synthesis, are currently some of the most promising, biocompatible, high efficiency systems
for drug delivery.