Exosomes as smart drug delivery vehicles for cancer immunotherapy

Huan Zhang; Simiao Wang; Man Sun; Yaxin Cui; Jianming Xing; Lesheng Teng; Zhifang Xi; Zhaogang Yang

doi:10.3389/fimmu.2022.1093607

Exosomes as smart drug delivery vehicles for cancer immunotherapy

Front Immunol. 2023 Jan 17:13:1093607. doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.1093607. eCollection 2022.

Authors

Huan Zhang¹, Simiao Wang¹, Man Sun¹, Yaxin Cui¹, Jianming Xing¹, Lesheng Teng¹, Zhifang Xi², Zhaogang Yang¹

Affiliations

¹ School of Life Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun, China.
² School of Horticulture and Food, Guangdong Eco-Engineering Polytechnic, Guangzhou, China.

Abstract

Exosomes (Exos) as drug delivery vehicles have been widely used for cancer immunotherapy owing to their good biocompatibility, low toxicity, and low immunogenicity. Some Exos-based cancer immunotherapy strategies such as tuning of immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment, immune checkpoint blockades, and cancer vaccines have also been investigated in recent years, which all showed excellent therapeutic effects for malignant tumor. Furthermore, some Exos-based drug delivery systems (DDSs) for cancer immunotherapy have also undergone clinic trails, indicating that Exos are a promising drug delivery carrier. In this review, in order to promote the development of Exos-based DDSs in cancer immunotherapy, the biogenesis and composition of Exos, and Exos as drug delivery vehicles for cancer immunotherapy are summarized. Meanwhile, their clinical translation and challenges are also discussed. We hope this review will provide a good guidance for Exos as drug delivery vehicles for cancer immunotherapy.

Keywords: drug delivery system; exosomes; immune checkpoint blockade; immunotherapy; tumor immune microenvironment.

Publication types

Review
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Cell Line, Tumor
Drug Carriers
Drug Delivery Systems
Exosomes*
Immunotherapy
Neoplasms* / therapy

Substances

Drug Carriers

Grants and funding

This review paper was supported by the projects of National Natural Science Foundation of China (82073784(LT) and 21HAA01203(ZY)), and Forestry Science and Technology Innovation Project of Guangdong Province (No. 2021KJCX010(ZX))