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Extracellular vesicles (EVs) play major roles in intracellular communication and participate in several biological functions in both normal and pathological conditions. Surface modification of EVs via various ligands, such as proteins, peptides, or aptamers, offers great potential as a means to achieve targeted delivery of therapeutic cargo, i.e., in drug delivery systems (DDS). This review summarizes recent studies pertaining to the development of EV-based DDS and its advantages compared to conventional nano drug delivery systems (NDDS). First, we compare liposomes and exosomes in terms of their distinct benefits in DDS. Second, we analyze what to consider for achieving better isolation, yield, and characterization of EVs for DDS. Third, we summarize different methods for the modification of surface of EVs, followed by discussion about different origins of EVs and their role in developing DDS. Next, several major methods for encapsulating therapeutic cargos in EVs have been summarized. Finally, we discuss key challenges and pose important open questions which warrant further investigation to develop more effective EV-based DDS.

Cancer is a global health challenge. There are drawbacks to conventional chemotherapy such as poor bioavailability, development of drug resistance and severe side effects. Novel drug delivery system may be an alternative to optimize therapeutic effects. When such systems consist of natural materials, they offer important advantages: they are usually highly biocompatible, biodegradable, nontoxic and nonimmunogenic. Furthermore, natural materials can be easily modified for conjugation with a wide range of therapeutic agents and targeting ligands, according to the therapeutic purpose. This article reviews different natural ingredients and their applications in drug delivery systems for cancer therapy. Firstly, an overview of the polysaccharides and protein-based polymers that have been extensively investigated for drug delivery are described. Secondly, recent advances in using various natural ingredient-based polymeric nanoparticles for cancer therapy are reviewed. The characteristics of these delivery systems are summarized, followed by a discussion of future development and clinical potential. This review aims to summarize current knowledge and provide a basis for developing effective tailor-made formulations for cancer therapy in the future.

Liposomal nanotechnology has a great potential to overcome the current major problems of chemotherapy. However, the lack of penetrability and targetability retards the successful delivery of liposomal carriers. Previously, we showed that BR2 peptide modification endowed cantharidin-loaded liposomes with intracellular penetration that enhanced the drug cytotoxic effects. Here, we aimed to improve the targeting delivery of drugs into cancer cells via highly expressed carbonic anhydrase IX (CA IX) receptors by modifying our previous catharidin-loaded BR2-liposomes with anti-CA IX antibody. A higher cellular uptake of dual-functional liposomes (DF-Lp) than other treatments was observed. Induction of CA IX over-expressing resulted in a higher cellular binding of DF-Lp; subsequently, blocking with excess antibodies resulted in a decreased cancer-cell association, indicating a specific targeting property of our liposomes towards CA IX expressed cells. After 3h tracking, most of the liposomes were located around the nucleus which confirmed the involvement of targeting intracellular delivery. Cantharidin loaded DF-Lp exhibited enhanced cytotoxicity in vitro and was most effective in controlling tumor growth in vivo in an orthotopic hepatocellular carcinoma model compared to other groups. Collectively, our results presented the advantage of the BR2 peptide and CA IX antibody combination to elevate the therapeutic potential of cantharidin loaded DF-liposomes.

To understand the impacts of different processing methods on the composition and effects of the herb Saussurea laniceps (SL), the present study report the first comparison of the chemical constituents of aqueous and ethanolic SL extracts using chromatographic analysis, and to compare their pharmacological effects in a mouse anti-inflammatory, anti-nociceptive model and an in vitro anti-oxidant test. Chemical comparison demonstrated that the types of chemicals in the two extracts were identical, but the contents of the main constituents in the aqueous extract were lower than those of the ethanolic extract. A transesterification of dicaffeoylquinic acids took place in the aqueous extract during boiling. As for pharmacological effects, oral administration of aqueous and ethanolic SL extracts significantly inhibited croton oil-induced mice ear edema, and significantly inhibited acetic acid-induced mice writhings, respectively. In the DPPH anti-oxidant activity test, the IC50 values were calculated as 409.6 mg/L and 523.4 mg/L for the ethanolic and aqueous extracts, respectively. The inhibitory effects of the ethanolic extract were more potent than those of the aqueous extract in all pharmacological tests, although there was no significant difference. This study suggests that the two preparations should be distinguished when used.

To understand the impacts of different processing methods on the composition and effects of the herb Saussurea laniceps (SL), the present study report the first comparison of the chemical constituents of aqueous and ethanolic SL extracts using chromatographic analysis, and to compare their pharmacological effects in a mouse anti-inflammatory, anti-nociceptive model and an in vitro anti-oxidant test. Chemical comparison demonstrated that the types of chemicals in the two extracts were identical, but the contents of the main constituents in the aqueous extract were lower than those of the ethanolic extract. A transesterification of dicaffeoylquinic acids took place in the aqueous extract during boiling. As for pharmacological effects, oral administration of aqueous and ethanolic SL extracts significantly inhibited croton oil-induced mice ear edema, and significantly inhibited acetic acid-induced mice writhings, respectively. In the DPPH anti-oxidant activity test, the IC50 values were calculated as 409.6 mg/L and 523.4 mg/L for the ethanolic and aqueous extracts, respectively. The inhibitory effects of the ethanolic extract were more potent than those of the aqueous extract in all pharmacological tests, although there was no significant difference. This study suggests that the two preparations should be distinguished when used. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]