Extracellular Vesicles for Therapeutic Nucleic Acid Delivery: Loading Strategies and Challenges

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are membrane vesicles released into the extracellular milieu by cells of various origins. They contain different biological cargoes, protecting them from degradation by environmental factors. There is an opinion that EVs have a number of advantages over synthetic carriers, creating new opportunities for drug delivery. In this review, we discuss the ability of EVs to function as carriers for therapeutic nucleic acids (tNAs), challenges associated with the use of such carriers in vivo, and various strategies for tNA loading into EVs.

Automated summary

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are released by cells and contain various biological cargoes, providing advantages over synthetic carriers for drug delivery. This review discusses the use of EVs as carriers for therapeutic nucleic acids (tNAs), the challenges faced in vivo, and strategies for tNA loading into EVs.