Therapeutic potential of RNA-enriched extracellular vesicles: The next generation in RNA delivery via biogenic nanoparticles

Abstract:

Exosomes are extracellular vesicles (EVs) (∼50-150 nm) have emerged as promising vehicles for therapeutic applications and drug delivery. These membrane-bound particles, released by all actively dividing cells have the ability to transfer effector molecules, including proteins, RNA, and even DNA, from donor cells to recipient cells, thereby modulating cellular responses. RNA-based therapeutics, including miRNAs, mRNAs, lncRNAs, and circRNAs, hold great potential in controlling gene expression and treating a spectrum of medical conditions. RNAs encapsulated in EVs are protected from extracellular degradation, making them attractive for therapeutic applications. Understanding the intricate biology of cargo loading and transfer within EVs is pivotal in unlocking their therapeutic potential. This review discusses the biogenesis and classification of EVs, methods for loading RNA into EVs, their advantages as drug carriers over synthetic lipid-based systems, and the potential applications in treating neurodegenerative diseases, cancer and viral infections. Notably, EVs show promise in delivering RNA cargo across the blood-brain barrier and targeting tumour cells, offering a safe and effective approach to RNA-based therapy in these contexts.