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Review
. 2022 Aug 13;13(1):74.
doi: 10.1007/s12672-022-00539-5.

Roles of exosomes as drug delivery systems in cancer immunotherapy: a mini-review

Zhen Fang  1 , Yixuan Ding  1 , Zhigang Xue  1 , Peijuan Li  2 , Jia Li  3 , Fei Li  4
Affiliations
Review

Roles of exosomes as drug delivery systems in cancer immunotherapy: a mini-review

Zhen Fang et al. Discov Oncol. .

Abstract

Exosomes can be released by a variety of cells and participate in intercellular communication in many physiological processes in the body. They can be used as carriers of cancer therapeutic drugs and have natural delivery capabilities. Some biologically active substances on exosomes, such as major histocompatibility complex (MHC), have been shown to be involved in exosome-mediated anticancer immune responses and have important regulatory effects on the immune system. Exosome-based drug delivery systems hold great promise in future cancer immunotherapy. However, there are still substantial challenges to be overcome in the clinical application of exosomes as drug carriers. This article reviews the biological characteristics of exosome drug delivery systems and their potential applications and challenges in cancer immunotherapy.

Keywords: Cancer; Drug delivery systems; Exosomes; Immunotherapy.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Exosome-based cancer diagnosis and treatment. Exosomes from different sources can be used for cancer diagnosis. Exosomes can be used as drug delivery systems for cancer treatment
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Schematic diagram of exosomes. The membrane and inside of exosomes carry a variety of proteins (CD13, LAM1/2, PGRL, PD1, PDL1, et al.), metabolites and nucleic acids (mRNA, miRNA, lncRNA, et al.)
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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