Abstract
Extracellular vesicles (EVs), including exosomes and microvesicles, have attracted much attention as diagnostic applications in liquid biopsies. The secreted and isolated EVs are also promising as next–generation intracellular delivery carriers of therapeutic/diagnostic molecules due to their pharmaceutical advantages. We are developing “PepEVs” system using a chemical technology of on–demand “cassette–like” modification of functional peptides on the EVs membranes for cellular targeting, enhanced cellular uptake and cytosolic release of EV contents. Macropinocytosis has been shown to be crucial for cellular uptake of the EVs, and functional peptide modification for macropinicytosis induction leads to effective internalization of the EVs by target cells.
