Title:Extracellular Vesicles as Novel Delivery Tools for Cancer Treatment
Volume: 16
Issue: 1
Author(s): Erdogan Pekcan Erkan and Okay Saydam
Affiliation:
Keywords:
Cancer, delivery, extracellular vesicles, therapeutics.
Abstract: Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are different types of membrane-derived vesicles that originate
from the endosomal pathway or the plasma membrane. These vesicles are used as "carriers" in
intercellular communication, and are responsible for the transfer of biological cargo (lipids, proteins,
RNA species, and DNA) between different cells. Despite the shortcomings in our knowledge of EV
biology, attempts to employ EVs as natural delivery tools for therapeutic purposes have been partly
successful in different settings. In this review, we highlight this unique potential of EVs, and discuss
previous examples and future scenarios.