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Review
. 2022 Jul 7:13:923598.
doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.923598. eCollection 2022.

Cell Membrane-Derived Vesicle: A Novel Vehicle for Cancer Immunotherapy

Caili Xu  1 , Dianwen Ju  1 , Xuyao Zhang  1
Affiliations
Review

Cell Membrane-Derived Vesicle: A Novel Vehicle for Cancer Immunotherapy

Caili Xu et al. Front Immunol. .

Abstract

As nano-sized materials prepared by isolating, disrupting and extruding cell membranes, cellular vesicles are emerging as a novel vehicle for immunotherapeutic drugs to activate antitumor immunity. Cell membrane-derived vesicles inherit the surface characteristics and functional properties of parental cells, thus having superior biocompatibility, low immunogenicity and long circulation. Moreover, the potent antitumor effect of cellular vesicles can be achieved through surface modification, genetic engineering, hybridization, drug encapsulation, and exogenous stimulation. The capacity of cellular vesicles to combine drugs of different compositions and functions in physical space provides a promising vehicle for combinational immunotherapy of cancer. In this review, the latest advances in cellular vesicles as vehicles for combinational cancer immunotherapy are systematically summarized with focuses on manufacturing processes, cell sources, therapeutic strategies and applications, providing an insight into the potential and existing challenges of using cellular vesicles for cancer immunotherapy.

Keywords: cancer immunotherapy; cellular vesicle; combination therapy; drug delivery vehicle; drug encapsulation; membrane hybridization.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
The manufacturing process, modification methods, and application strategies of cellular vesicles in combinational immunotherapy of cancer. (A) The process of isolating cell membrane-derived vesicles from parental cells. (B) Methods for modifying substances such as polyethylene glycol, tumor targeting peptide and nucleic acid aptamer on the surface of cellular vesicles. (C) Cellular vesicles inherit antitumor proteins that the parental cells overexpress through gene editing. (D) Cellular vesicles are hybridized with different materials such as cell membranes from other sources, bacterial membranes and liposomes to obtain multiple components and functions for cancer immunotherapy. (E) Free drugs, drug-loaded nanoparticles or oncolytic viruses are encapsulated in cellular vesicles for delivery to the tumor lesions to activate antitumor immunity. (F) In response to exogenous stimulation, immune cells produce a variety of tumor growth inhibitors including surface markers, intracellular proteins, mRNA for pro-inflammatory cytokines, and certain miRNAs, which can be retained in cellular vesicles.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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