Progress in the application of exosomes as therapeutic vectors in tumor-targeted therapy

Abstract Cancer is the second leading cause of death in the world with a high annual incidence level. Researchers have been working on developing treatments for cancer. Targeted therapy is an emerging treatment modality that is more novel than surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy. In targeted therapy, exogenous nanoscale microparticles are applied as carriers for drugs or genes. However, conventional particles have certain limitations attributed to non-specific cytotoxicity, biocompatibility and low delivery efficacy in individual therapeutic vector systems. Exosomes are small vesicles secreted by various cells that consist of lipid bilayer membranes without organelles. Due to their excellent biocompatibility, exosomes have received increased attention in recent years for targeted therapy applications. This review briefly introduces the current status of targeted therapy, and exosomes are introduced by their structural characteristics, physiological effects and separation methods. This review also discusses the applications of engineered exosomes derived from different cells in the field of targeted therapies and compares the two-way regulation of mesenchymal stromal cell–derived exosomes in tumor therapy.