Abstract
Exosomes are nano structured (50-90 nm) vesicles that originate from
endosomal compartment of eukaryotic cells and are secreted into extracellular matrix. In
recent years, there has been increased interest in exploring exosomes for diagnostic
and therapeutic applications. Like many other diseases, e.g., neurodegenerative
disorders, autoimmune diseases exosomes have a considerable significance in cancer
too. Exosomes are known to prevail in large numbers and carry unique cargos in
different types of cancers and thus are proving as versatile entities in understanding
their biology of cancers and utilized as efficient diagnostic biomarkers in identification of
cancer type. In addition to diagnostic applications, there has been an increased interest
in recent years to exploit exosomes as carriers for delivery of therapeutic agents to
target sites as well. This is indebted to their exceptional non-immunogenic and
biomimetic properties that prompted researchers to use exosomes as carriers for
delivery of therapeutic agents, e.g., drugs, genes and peptides. Exosomes also
circumvent many drawbacks associated with other lipid or polymeric nanocarriers, e.g.,
low circulation time, lipid toxicities, long term stability, etc. However, in spite of many
favorable aspects of exosome based therapy, there have been a number of challenges
too. This review will focus on the current status of the exosome based drug therapy for
cancer, the challenges faced and its potential for future clinical use.