Hybrid Nanoparticles\nof Extracellular Vesicles and\nGemcitabine Prodrug-Loaded Liposomes with Enhanced Targeting Ability\nfor Effective PDAC Treatment

Liposomes are applied to various anticancer treatments\nas representative\ndrug delivery carriers. However, liposomes do not have their own targeting\nproperties; therefore, there are limitations in drug delivery to specific\ntissues or cells. High targetability in drug delivery is an important\nfactor in improving bioavailability and drug efficacy and reducing\nside effects; recent research has been actively investigated to modify\nthe surface of liposomes to give them specific functions. In this\nstudy, we studied a drug delivery system for anticancer treatment\nthat enhances targeting ability through fusion with exosomes on the\nsurface of liposomes. We designed exosome–liposome hybrid nanoparticles\nloaded with a gemcitabine prodrug as a treatment for pancreatic ductal\nadenocarcinoma (PDAC). Membrane fusion with exosomes shows excellent\ntargeting ability to pancreatic cancer cells due to intrinsic targeting\nability and expansion of the macropinocytosis pathway.