On the use of liposome controls in studies investigating the clinical potential of extracellular vesicle-based drug delivery systems - A commentary

Kasper Bendix Johnsen; Johann Mar Gudbergsson; Meg Duroux; Torben Moos; Thomas Lars Andresen; Jens Bæk Simonsen

doi:10.1016/j.jconrel.2017.11.002

On the use of liposome controls in studies investigating the clinical potential of extracellular vesicle-based drug delivery systems - A commentary

J Control Release. 2018 Jan 10:269:10-14. doi: 10.1016/j.jconrel.2017.11.002. Epub 2017 Nov 7.

Authors

Kasper Bendix Johnsen¹, Johann Mar Gudbergsson², Meg Duroux², Torben Moos³, Thomas Lars Andresen⁴, Jens Bæk Simonsen⁵

Affiliations

¹ Laboratory of Neurobiology, Institute of Health Science and Technology, Aalborg University, Denmark; Center for Nanomedicine and Theranostics, Department of Micro- and Nanotechnology, Technical University of Denmark, Denmark. Electronic address: kbj@hst.aau.dk.
² Laboratory of Cancer Biology, Institute of Health Science and Technology, Aalborg University, Denmark.
³ Laboratory of Neurobiology, Institute of Health Science and Technology, Aalborg University, Denmark.
⁴ Center for Nanomedicine and Theranostics, Department of Micro- and Nanotechnology, Technical University of Denmark, Denmark.
⁵ Center for Nanomedicine and Theranostics, Department of Micro- and Nanotechnology, Technical University of Denmark, Denmark. Electronic address: jbak@nanotech.dtu.dk.

PMID: 29126999
DOI: 10.1016/j.jconrel.2017.11.002

Abstract

The field of extracellular vesicle (EV)-based drug delivery systems has evolved significantly through the recent years, and numerous studies suggest that these endogenous nanoparticles can function as efficient drug delivery vehicles in a variety of diseases. Many characteristics of these EV-based drug delivery vehicles suggest them to be superior at residing in the systemic circulation and possibly at mediating therapeutic effects compared to synthetic drug delivery vehicles, e.g. liposomes. In this Commentary, we discuss how some currently published head-to-head comparisons of EVs versus liposomes are weakened by the inadequate choice of liposomal formulation, and encourage researchers to implement better controls to show any potential superiority of EVs over other synthetic nanoparticles.

Keywords: Controls; Drug delivery; Exosomes; Extracellular vesicles; Liposomes; Targeting.

Publication types

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

MeSH terms

Control Groups
Drug Delivery Systems*
Extracellular Vesicles*
Liposomes*

Substances

Liposomes