Microvesicles as drug delivery systems: A new frontier for bionic therapeutics in cancer

Microvesicles (MVs) are membranous extracellular organelles secreted under normal physiological or pathological conditions, which can not only be applied as new drug carriers, but also play a role in the diagnosis and prognosis of diseases. The favorable biocompatibility and targeting of MVs provide a new idea for the implementation of precision medicine. In this review, we accentuated the heterogeneity of MVs as distinct from other extracellular vesicles (exosomes and apoptotic bodies), including their biological origin, characteristics and biological functions. Meanwhile, we revealed various methods of inducing cells to secrete MVs and MVs isolating that allow understanding the limitations of each technique. As non-invasive clinically important biomarkers, Cell-derived MVs can be employed for disease diagnosis and prognosis by virtue of the characteristic molecules of the parent cells they carry. Naturally derived MVs have lower immunogenicity and higher biocompatibility than liposomes, and as a special bionic drug delivery system, MVs are expected to become a new opportunity for disease treatment.