Thymoquinone-loaded mesenchymal stem cell-derived exosome as an efficient nano-system against breast cancer cells

Stem Cell-Derived Exosomes: An Advanced Horizon to Cancer Regenerative Medicine

Cancer research has made significant progress in recent years, and extracellular vesicles (EVs) based cancer investigation reveals several facts about cancer. Exosomes are a subpopulation of EVs. In the present decade, exosomes is mostly highlighted for cancer theranostic research. Tumor cell derived exosomes (TEXs) promote cancer but there are multiple sources of exosomes that can be used as cancer therapeutic agents (plant exosomes, stem cell-derived exosomes, modified or synthetic exosomes). Stem cells based regenerative medicine faces numerous challenges, such as promote tumor development, cellular reprogramming etc., and therefore addressing these complications becomes essential. Stem cell-derived exosomes serves as an answer to these problems and offers a better solution. Global research indicates that stem cell-derived exosomes also play a dual role in the cellular system by either inhibiting or promoting cancer. Modified exosomes which are genetically engineered exosomes or surface modified exosomes to increase the efficacy of the therapeutic properties can also be considered to target the above concerns. However, the difficulties associated with the exosomes include variations in exosomes heterogenity, isolation protocols, large scale production, etc., and these have to be managed effectively. In this review, we explore exosomes biogenesis, multiple stem cell-derived exosome sources, drug delivery, modified stem cells exosomes, clinical trial of stem cells exosomes, and the related challenges in this domain and future orientation. This article may encourage researchers to explore stem cell-derived exosomes and develop an effective and affordable cancer therapeutic solution.

Adipose-derived stem cell exosomes promote tumor characterization and immunosuppressive microenvironment in breast cancer

Adipose-derived stem cells (ASC) or autologous fat transplantation could be used to ameliorate breast cancer postoperative deformities. This study aims to explore the action of ASC and ASC-exosomes (ASC-exos) in breast cancer characterization and tumor microenvironment immunity, which provided a new method into the application of ASC-exos. ASC were extracted from human adipose tissue for the isolation and verification of ASC-exos. ASC-exos were co-cultured with CD4+T cells, CD14+ monocytes and MCF-7 cells, respectively. The tumor formation of nude mice was also constructed. Cell characterization was determined by CCK8, scratch assay, and Transwell. Hematoxylin-eosin (HE), immunohistochemistry (IHC) and immunofluorescence (IF) staining were used to observe the histopathology and protein expression. CD4+T cell and CD14+ monocytes differentiation was detected by flow cytometry. Western blot, qRT-PCR and RNAseq were used to detect the action of ASC-exos on gene and protein expression. CD4+T cells could take up ASC-exos. ASC-exos inhibited Th1 and Th17 differentiation and promoted Treg differentiation of CD4+T cells. ASC-exos inhibited M1 differentiation and promoted M2 differentiation of CD14+ monocytes. ASC-exos promoted the migration, proliferation, and invasion, while inhibited apoptosis of MCF-7 cells. ASC-exos promoted the tumor formation of breast cancer. The effect of ASC-exos on tumor microenvironment immunity was in accordance with the above in vitro results. TOX, CD4 and LYZ1 genes were upregulated, while Mettl7b and Serpinb2 genes were downregulated in ASC-exos group. Human T-cell leukemia virus 1 infection pathway was significantly enriched in ASC-exos. Thus, ASC-exos promoted breast cancer characterization and tumor microenvironment immunosuppression by regulating macrophage and T cell differentiation.

Engineered Exosome for Drug Delivery: Recent Development and Clinical Applications

Exosomes are nano-sized membrane vesicles that transfer bioactive molecules between cells and modulate various biological processes under physiological and pathological conditions. By applying bioengineering technologies, exosomes can be modified to express specific markers or carry therapeutic cargo and emerge as novel platforms for the treatment of cancer, neurological, cardiovascular, immune, and infectious diseases. However, there are many challenges and uncertainties in the clinical translation of exosomes. This review aims to provide an overview of the recent advances and challenges in the translation of engineered exosomes, with a special focus on the methods and strategies for loading drugs into exosomes, the pros and cons of different loading methods, and the optimization of exosome production based on the drugs to be encapsulated. Moreover, we also summarize the current clinical applications and prospects of engineered exosomes, as well as the potential risks and limitations that need to be addressed in exosome engineering, including the standardization of exosome preparation and engineering protocols, the quality and quantity of exosomes, the control of drug release, and the immunogenicity and cytotoxicity of exosomes. Overall, engineered exosomes represent an exciting frontier in nanomedicine, but they still face challenges in large-scale production, the maintenance of storage stability, and clinical translation. With continuous advances in this field, exosome-based drug formulation could offer great promise for the targeted treatment of human diseases.

Research Advances of Engineered Exosomes as Drug Delivery Carrier

Exosomes are nanoscale vesicles secreted by living cells that have similar membrane composition to parental cells and carry a variety of proteins, lipids, and nucleic acids. Therefore, exosomes have certain biological activities and play an important role in intercellular communication. On the basis of its potential as a carrier for drug delivery systems, exosomes have been engineered to compensate for the shortage of natural exosomes through various engineering strategies for improving drug delivery efficiency, enhancing targeting to tissues and organs, and extending the circulating half-life of exosomes. This review focuses on the engineered exosomes loading drugs through different strategies, discussions on exosome surface modification strategies, and summarizes the advantages and disadvantages of different strategies. In addition, this review provides an overview of the recent applications of engineered exosomes in a number of refractory and relapsable diseases. This review has the potential to provide a reference for further research and development of engineered exosomes.

Amphotericin B-Loaded Extracellular Vesicles Derived from Leishmania major Enhancing Cutaneous Leishmaniasis Treatment through In Vitro and In Vivo Studies

Background

Recent studies have shown an increasing number of patients with cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) who do not respond to pentavalent antimonials as the first line of treatment for CL. Nanocarriers such as extracellular vesicles (EVs) are efficient vehicles that might be used as drug delivery systems for the treatment of diseases. Therefore, we aimed to isolate and characterize the EVs of Leishmania major, load them with Amphotericin B (AmB), and investigate the toxicity and efficacy of the prepared drug form.

Methods

The EVs of L. major were isolated, characterized, and loaded with amphotericin B (AmB), and the EVs-Amphotericin B (EVs-AmB) form was synthesized. Relevant in vitro and in vivo methods were performed to evaluate the toxicity and efficacy of EVs-AmB compared to the control.

Results

The anti-leishmanial activity of the EVs-AmB showed a higher percentage inhibition (PI%) (P = 0.023) compared to the AmB at different concentrations and time points. Obtained data showed a significant increase in the lesion size and parasite load in the lesion, PBS, and EVs mice groups in comparison with EVs-AmB, AmB, and Glucantime groups (P < 0.05), EVs-AmB had a significant decrease in lesion sizes in comparison with AmB (P < 0.05). Results showed that EVs-AmB decreased its toxicity to the kidneys and liver (P < 0.05).

Conclusion

EVs-AmB improved the efficacy of AmB in mouse skin lesions and reduced hepatorenal toxicity. Furthermore, EVs could be a promising nanoplatform for the delivery of AmB in CL caused by L. major.

Aptamer-functionalized mesenchymal stem cells-derived exosomes for targeted delivery of SN38 to colon cancer cells

Objectives

Known as natural nanovesicles, exosomes have attracted increased attention as biocompatible carriers throughout recent years, which can provide appropriate sources for incorporating and transferring drugs to desired cells in order to improve their effectiveness and safety.

Materials and Methods

This study implicates the isolation of mesenchymal stem cells from adipocyte tissue (ADSCs) to acquire a proper amount of exosomes for drug delivery. As the exosomes were separated by ultracentrifugation, SN38 was entrapped into ADSCs-derived exosomes through the combination method of incubation, freeze-thaw, and surfactant treatment (SN38/Exo). Then, SN38/Exo was conjugated with anti-MUC1 aptamer (SN38/Exo-Apt), and its targeting ability and cytotoxicity towards cancer cells were investigated.

Results

Encapsulation efficiency of SN38 into exosomes (58%) was significantly increased using our novel combination method. Furthermore, the in vitro results were indicative of the great cellular uptake of SN38/Exo-Apt and its significant cytotoxicity on Mucin 1 overexpressing cells (C26 cancer cells) without noticeable cytotoxicity on normal cells (CHO cells).

Conclusion

The results propose that our approach developed an efficient method for loading SN38 as a hydrophobic drug into exosomes and decorating them with MUC1 aptamer against Mucin 1 overexpressing cells. So, SN38/Exo-Apt could be considered a great platform in the future for the therapy of colorectal cancer.

Purposing plant-derived exosomes-like nanovesicles for drug delivery: patents and literature review

INTRODUCTION

How can biotechnology and organic agriculture be fused and promoted simultaneously to overcome the main challenges in drug delivery systems, improving the quality of the care provided, [1] patient outcomes, and [2] reducing the side effects of most of the current treatments? Unfortunately, the role of organic agriculture in future human health treatment still represents a binary organic-conventional question, a debate perpetuating an either/or mentality. However, extracellular exosomes-like nanoparticles define a new organic path that plants and vegetables can release. In this review, we concisely propose plant-derived exosome-like nanovesicles and discuss their most important biological and pharmacological roles, representing a new tool for drug delivery.

AREAS COVERED

plant-derived exosomes-like nanovesicles; nature farming; green manufacturing practice; drug delivery; organic agriculture.

EXPERT OPINION

There is growing interest in the potential use of plant-derived exosomes-like nanovesicles for various diagnostic and therapeutic applications that should translate into a supplement to current nano-pharmaceuticals. Despite their clinical potential, the lack of sensitive preparatory and analytical technologies for plant-derived exosomes-like nanovesicles poses a barrier to clinical translation. An increasing number of articles are recently published on new analytical platforms to address these challenges in cross-comparison with conventional assay methods. This review also mentions two patents from ExoLab-Italia on plant-derived exosome-like nanovesicles, respectively, on plant-derived exosome-like nanovesicles' ability to naturally deliver a series of potentially therapeutic molecules and a novel approach to upload them with therapeutic molecules.