Extracellular vesicles over adeno-associated viruses: Advantages and limitations as drug delivery platforms in precision medicine

Adv Drug Deliv Rev. 2022 Nov:190:114535. doi: 10.1016/j.addr.2022.114535. Epub 2022 Sep 19.

Abstract

Tissue-specific uptake and sufficient biodistribution are central goals in drug development. Crossing the blood-brain barrier (BBB) represents a major challenge in delivering therapeutics to the central nervous system (CNS). Since its discovery in the late 19th century, considerable efforts have been invested in an attempt to decipher the BBB structure complexity and plasticity. In parallel, another prevalent approach is to improve a delivery system by harnessing the biological machinery in an attempt to enhance therapeutic-agent permeability. Here, we review the advantages and limitations of using extracellular vesicles over AAV systems as a delivery system for therapy, focusing on neurodevelopmental disorders.

Keywords: Drug delivery; Exosomes; Extracellular vesicles; Mesenchymal stem cells; Microenvironment; Neurodevelopmental disorders.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Blood-Brain Barrier
  • Dependovirus*
  • Drug Delivery Systems
  • Extracellular Vesicles*
  • Humans
  • Precision Medicine
  • Tissue Distribution