Bringing exosomes into the game: Current situation, opportunities, limitations and future perspectives

Exosomes are microscopic vesicles secreted by cells, serving as carriers of diverse biological substances and playing an essential role in the communication between cells. When meticulously engineered, these small extracellular vesicles transform into highly effective delivery systems for therapeutic agents, enabling the targeted administration of active pharmaceutical ingredients to specific organs, tissues, and cells. Exosomes play an indispensable role in a myriad of biological processes, including intercellular communication, the regulation of gene expression, apoptosis, inflammation, immunity, as well as cell maturation and differentiation. The versatile role of exosomes is largely attributed to their intricate cargoes and composition, which encompasses nucleic acids, proteins, and lipids. In this review, we present a comprehensive overview of state-of-the-art characterization and isolation techniques used for the study of exosomes, especially for exosome-based biomedical applications. We will discuss the potential use of exosomes in personalized treatments, their interactions with other nanostructures focusing on the biomolecule corona, as well as the challenges and future expectations. In conclusion, this review provides evidence that we will witness extremely important functions and advances with innovative therapeutic and diagnostic applications of exosomes in the biomedical field.