THE SCIENTIFIC TALKS OF MANIFESTATION OF EXOSOMES AND SMALL PARTICLE-BASED THERAPEUTICS: A COMPARATIVE REVIEW OF BIOLOGICAL AND SYNTHETIC NANOCARRIERS

Exosomes and other small particles, such as liposomes, polymeric nanoparticles, and extracellular vesicle (EV)-mimetics, have emerged as central players in the development of next-generation therapeutics. Exosomes are nanoscale vesicles of endosomal origin secreted by nearly all cell types, playing a critical role in cell–cell communication through their unique cargo of nucleic acids, proteins, and lipids. Liposomes, in contrast, are synthetic lipid vesicles that have been successfully used in clinical practice for decades as drug carriers. A comparative assessment of these natural and synthetic nanocarriers highlights differences in biogenesis, composition, immunogenicity, pharmacokinetics, scalability, and translational potential. Exosomes offer the advantage of natural biocompatibility and intrinsic targeting abilities, while liposomes and other engineered nanoparticles provide reproducibility, stability, and regulatory precedent. In this review, we provide an in-depth overview of exosomes, liposomes, and other nanoparticle systems, exploring their structural and functional properties, therapeutic applications across multiple disease domains, and the challenges that must be overcome for clinical translation.