Exosomes are natural nanocontainers actively secreted by the body's cells and transmitting molecular signals of various types to recipient cells. Cellular mechanisms of exosomes' biogenesis involve specific sorting of RNA for incorporation into them. As a result, the molecular composition of exosomes is closely related to the donor cell's functional state, and this makes exosomes an important diagnostic and prognostic marker in a number of diseases (primarily oncological). The ability of exosomes to transport biologically active molecules and to protect the cargo from degradation makes them nearly ideal candidates as delivery carriers of RNA in therapeutic or prophylactic regimes. Potential of exosomal surface functionalization enables improved targeting to specific organs, tissues and cells. However, the development of an effective technology for RNA's loading into exosomes cannot be considered resolved. This review is focused on experimental data on the use of exosomes as vehicles for the delivery of therapeutic and prophylactic RNAs. We briefly consider the biogenesis and functions of exosomes, focusing on those biological properties that make them formidable candidates in the race to develop effective delivery carriers. Furthermore, we describe various techniques of cargo loading into exosomes. Prospects of exosomes application as therapeutic delivery system for siRNAs, miRNAs, and long RNAs are considered.
Keywords: RNA-based therapy; RNA-binding proteins; exosomes; miRNA; nanoparticles; siRNA; targeted delivery.