Biofunctional peptide-modified exosomes for intracellular delivery of therapeutic molecules and cellular regulation

Abstract

Exosomes (extracellular vesicles) are small membrane vesicles (30-200 nm) secreted by various cell types with encapsulation of bioactive molecules (e.g. microRNA and enzymes). Exosomes are highly expected to be next generation drug delivery tools owing to their pharmaceutical advantages. In order to be utilized for receptor-targeted delivery based on exosomes, development of functionalized exosomes, which can recognize specific receptors and induce cellular exosomal uptake, should be needed. In this review, I introduce a novel technique for effectively targeting receptors, using artificial leucine zipper peptides that form heterodimeric coiled-coils.