Red Blood Cell Extracellular Vesicle-Based Drug Delivery: Challenges and Opportunities

Wararat Chiangjong; Pukkavadee Netsirisawan; Suradej Hongeng; Somchai Chutipongtanate

doi:10.3389/fmed.2021.761362

Red Blood Cell Extracellular Vesicle-Based Drug Delivery: Challenges and Opportunities

Front Med (Lausanne). 2021 Dec 24:8:761362. doi: 10.3389/fmed.2021.761362. eCollection 2021.

Authors

Wararat Chiangjong¹, Pukkavadee Netsirisawan¹, Suradej Hongeng², Somchai Chutipongtanate^{1

3

4}

Affiliations

¹ Pediatric Translational Research Unit, Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine Ramathibodi Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand.
² Division of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine Ramathibodi Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand.
³ Department of Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Faculty of Medicine Ramathibodi Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand.
⁴ Chakri Naruebodindra Medical Institute, Faculty of Medicine Ramathibodi Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand.

Abstract

Recently, red blood cell-derived extracellular vesicles (RBCEVs) have attracted attention for clinical applications because of their safety and biocompatibility. RBCEVs can escape macrophages through the binding of CD47 to inhibitory receptor signal regulatory protein α. Furthermore, genetic materials such as siRNA, miRNA, mRNA, or single-stranded RNA can be encapsulated within RBCEVs and then released into target cells for precise treatment. However, their side effects, half-lives, target cell specificity, and limited large-scale production under good manufacturing practice remain challenging. In this review, we summarized the biogenesis and composition of RBCEVs, discussed the advantages and disadvantages of RBCEVs for drug delivery compared with synthetic nanovesicles and non-red blood cell-derived EVs, and provided perspectives for overcoming current limitations to the use of RBCEVs for clinical applications.

Keywords: RBCEVs; cancer; clinical application; exosome; extracellular vesicles; microvesicles; therapeutic drug delivery.

Publication types

Review