Extracellular vesicles as nature's nano carriers in cancer therapy: insights toward preclinical studies and clinical applications.

Journal: Pharmacological research
Published Date: May 7, 2025

Abstract

Extracellular vesicles (EVs), which are secreted by various cell types, hold significant potential for cancer therapy. However, there are several challenges and difficulties that limit their application in clinical settings. This review, which integrates the work of our team and recent advancements in this research field, discusses EV-based cancer treatment strategies to guide their clinical application. The following treatment strategies are discussed: 1) leveraging the inherent properties of EVs for the development of cancer treatments; 2) modifying EVs using EV engineering methods to improve drug loading and delivery; 3) targeting key molecules in tumor-derived EV (TDE) synthesis to inhibit their production; and 4) clearing TDEs from the tumor microenvironment. Additionally, on the basis of research into EV-based vaccines and bispecific antibodies, this review elaborates on strategies to enhance antitumor immunity via EVs and discusses engineering modifications that can improve EV targeting ability and stability and the research progress of AI technology in targeted delivery of EV drugs. Although there are limited strategies for enhancing EV targeting abilities, this review provides an in-depth discussion of prior studies. Finally, this review summarizes the clinical progress on the use of EVs in cancer therapy and highlights challenges that need to be addressed.

Authors

  • Xiaotong Wu
    State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Molecules and Druggability Assessment, MOE Key Laboratory of Tumor Molecular Biology, and Institute of Precision Cancer Medicine and Pathology, School of Medicine, Jinan University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.
  • Yuhua Meng
    State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Molecules and Druggability Assessment, MOE Key Laboratory of Tumor Molecular Biology, and Institute of Precision Cancer Medicine and Pathology, School of Medicine, Jinan University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China; Department of General Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.
  • Zhimeng Yao
    State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Molecules and Druggability Assessment, MOE Key Laboratory of Tumor Molecular Biology, and Institute of Precision Cancer Medicine and Pathology, School of Medicine, Jinan University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China; Department of Urology Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.
  • Xiaona Lin
    State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Molecules and Druggability Assessment, MOE Key Laboratory of Tumor Molecular Biology, and Institute of Precision Cancer Medicine and Pathology, School of Medicine, Jinan University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China; Department of Thoracic Surgery, the First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.
  • Mengyuan Hu
    State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Molecules and Druggability Assessment, MOE Key Laboratory of Tumor Molecular Biology, and Institute of Precision Cancer Medicine and Pathology, School of Medicine, Jinan University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.
  • Songwang Cai
    Department of Thoracic Surgery, the First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.
  • Shegan Gao
    College of Clinical Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Henan University of Science and Technology, Henan Key Laboratory of Cancer Epigenetics, Luoyang, Henan, China. Electronic address: gsg112258@haust.edu.cn.
  • Hao Zhang
    College of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, 450002, China.

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