Chapter 11
Cell-Derived Nanovesicles as Exosome-Mimetics for Drug
Delivery Purposes: Uses and Recommendations
Yi-Hsuan Ou, Shui Zou, Wei Jiang Goh, Jiong-Wei Wang, Matthias Wacker,
Bertrand Czarny, and Giorgia Pastorin
Abstract
Cell-derived Drug Delivery Systems (DDSs), particularly exosomes, have grown in popularity and have
been increasingly explored as novel DDSs, due to their intrinsic targeting capabilities. However, clinical
translation of exosomes is impeded by the tedious isolation procedures and poor yield. Cell-derived
nanovesicles (CDNs) have recently been produced and proposed as exosome-mimetics. Various methods
for producing exosome-mimetics have been developed. In this chapter, we present a simple, efficient, and
cost-effective CDNs production method that uses common laboratory equipment (microcentrifuge) and
spin cups. Through a series of extrusion and size exclusion steps, CDNs are produced from in vitro cell
culture and are found to highly resemble the endogenous exosomes. Thus, we envision that this strategy
holds great potential as a viable alternative to exosomes in the development of ideal DDS.
Key words Drug delivery systems, Exosomes, Exosome-mimetics, Intrinsic targeting, Biomimicry
1 Introduction
Drug Delivery Systems (DDSs) include a wide range of technologies and/or devices that aim to deliver therapeutic cargos at the
target site [1]. By increasing the accumulation of bioactive molecules at the diseased areas and/or reducing nonspecific exposure of
the cargos to off-target sites, DDSs are expected to improve both
efficacy and safety profiles of drugs.
Among the different formulations that have been proposed as
suitable DDSs, the lipid-based nanovesicles called liposomes have
always been the forerunner in the field of drug delivery. The main
reason behind this is probably due to their lipid bilayer and aqueous
core (which enable the encapsulation of both hydrophilic and
lipophilic drugs), as well as their surface, which can be easily functionalized with targeting agents and/or imaging probes. To date,
there are more than 50 FDA approved, commercially and clinically
available liposomal formulations (e.g., Doxil
®
, Myocet
® , and
Kumaran Narayanan (ed.), Bio-Carrier Vectors: Methods and Protocols, Methods in Molecular Biology, vol. 2211,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-0716-0943-9_11, © Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature 2021
147
Cell-Derived Nanovesicles as Exosome-Mimetics for Drug
Delivery Purposes: Uses and Recommendations
Yi-Hsuan Ou, Shui Zou, Wei Jiang Goh, Jiong-Wei Wang, Matthias Wacker,
Bertrand Czarny, and Giorgia Pastorin
Abstract
Cell-derived Drug Delivery Systems (DDSs), particularly exosomes, have grown in popularity and have
been increasingly explored as novel DDSs, due to their intrinsic targeting capabilities. However, clinical
translation of exosomes is impeded by the tedious isolation procedures and poor yield. Cell-derived
nanovesicles (CDNs) have recently been produced and proposed as exosome-mimetics. Various methods
for producing exosome-mimetics have been developed. In this chapter, we present a simple, efficient, and
cost-effective CDNs production method that uses common laboratory equipment (microcentrifuge) and
spin cups. Through a series of extrusion and size exclusion steps, CDNs are produced from in vitro cell
culture and are found to highly resemble the endogenous exosomes. Thus, we envision that this strategy
holds great potential as a viable alternative to exosomes in the development of ideal DDS.
Key words Drug delivery systems, Exosomes, Exosome-mimetics, Intrinsic targeting, Biomimicry
1 Introduction
Drug Delivery Systems (DDSs) include a wide range of technologies and/or devices that aim to deliver therapeutic cargos at the
target site [1]. By increasing the accumulation of bioactive molecules at the diseased areas and/or reducing nonspecific exposure of
the cargos to off-target sites, DDSs are expected to improve both
efficacy and safety profiles of drugs.
Among the different formulations that have been proposed as
suitable DDSs, the lipid-based nanovesicles called liposomes have
always been the forerunner in the field of drug delivery. The main
reason behind this is probably due to their lipid bilayer and aqueous
core (which enable the encapsulation of both hydrophilic and
lipophilic drugs), as well as their surface, which can be easily functionalized with targeting agents and/or imaging probes. To date,
there are more than 50 FDA approved, commercially and clinically
available liposomal formulations (e.g., Doxil
®
, Myocet
® , and
Kumaran Narayanan (ed.), Bio-Carrier Vectors: Methods and Protocols, Methods in Molecular Biology, vol. 2211,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-0716-0943-9_11, © Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature 2021
147