Extracellular Vesicles: Therapeutic Delivery

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are emerging and promising therapeutic delivery vehicles due to their ability to transfer bioactive molecules to recipient cells. EVs are membrane-bound particles secreted by cells and play essential roles in intercellular communication. This chapter overviews EV’s origin and their potential as therapeutic delivery vehicles. The isolation and characterization of EVs, including methods of purification and quantification, are also discussed, along with approaches for loading therapeutic cargo into EVs. The chapter also examines EV modification strategies that can enhance the targeting and efficacy of EV-based therapeutics, such as surface and genetic engineering. Finally, the challenges and opportunities in developing EV-based therapeutics are discussed. Overall, this chapter highlights the potential of EVs as a versatile and promising therapeutic delivery system with broad applications in treating various human diseases.