The potential value of exosomes as adjuvants for novel biologic local anesthetics

Yunmeng Zhang; Shangzhi Feng; Xin Cheng; Kecheng Lou; Xin Liu; Ming Zhuo; Li Chen; Junming Ye

doi:10.3389/fphar.2023.1112743

The potential value of exosomes as adjuvants for novel biologic local anesthetics

Front Pharmacol. 2023 Jan 26:14:1112743. doi: 10.3389/fphar.2023.1112743. eCollection 2023.

Authors

Yunmeng Zhang^{1

2}, Shangzhi Feng^{1

3}, Xin Cheng^{1

3}, Kecheng Lou^{1

3}, Xin Liu^{1

2}, Ming Zhuo², Li Chen^{1

2}, Junming Ye^{1

2}

Affiliations

¹ The First Clinical College, Gannan Medical University, Ganzhou, Jiangxi, China.
² Department of Anesthesiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Gannan Medical University, Ganzhou, Jiangxi, China.
³ Department of Urology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Gannan Medical University, Ganzhou, Jiangxi, China.

Abstract

The side effects of anesthetic drugs are a key preoperative concern for anesthesiologists. Anesthetic drugs used for general anesthesia and regional blocks are associated with a potential risk of systemic toxicity. This prompted the use of anesthetic adjuvants to ameliorate these side effects and improve clinical outcomes. However, the adverse effects of anesthetic adjuvants, such as neurotoxicity and gastrointestinal reactions, have raised concerns about their clinical use. Therefore, the development of relatively safe anesthetic adjuvants with fewer side effects is an important area for future anesthetic drug research. Exosomes, which contain multiple vesicles with genetic information, can be released by living cells with regenerative and specific effects. Exosomes released by specific cell types have been found to have similar effects as many local anesthetic adjuvants. Due to their biological activity, carrier efficacy, and ability to repair damaged tissues, exosomes may have a better efficacy and safety profile than the currently used anesthetic adjuvants. In this article, we summarize the contemporary literature about local anesthetic adjuvants and highlight their potential side effects, while discussing the potential of exosomes as novel local anesthetic adjuvant drugs.

Keywords: adverse reactions; engineered extracellular vesicles; local anesthetic adjuvants; organ remodeling; regional blockade.

Publication types

Review

Grants and funding

This work was supported by the Jiangxi Province 2021 Postgraduate Innovation Special Funds Project (Grant Nos YC2021-X002, YC2021-X008, and YC2021-S788).