Application of dendritic cell extracellular vesicles as a valid nanoparticle platform for cancer therapies: a narrative review

The prevalence of cancers has actually increased during the last few decades, affecting almost all human societies. Despite progress in therapeutic protocols, cancer is still the main cause of global human mortality. Although the advancement of modern immunotherapeutic approaches can increase the survival rate of cancer patients, new modalities are essential for improved therapeutic outcomes. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are nanosized particles and are used for cell-free approaches instead of direct whole cell-based administration. It has been thought that EVs can reduce the risks and side effects of immunotherapy. Dendritic cells (DCs), belonging to antigen-presenting cells (APCs), are present in different parts of the body with the fundamental activity against tumors and various inflammatory conditions. Due to the existence of reconfigurable contents, DC EVs are valid bioshuttles to transfer immunogenic molecules, process antigens along with co-regulatory factors to other immune cell subsets like T lymphocytes, involved in the control of immune responses in a paracrine manner. Besides, recent technologies have enabled us to produce engineered DC EVs with higher immunotherapeutic potential against the tumor cells. In the current review article, we aimed to discuss recent developments in nanomedicine and biotechnology fields for the application of DC EVs in terms of cancer. The recent data will help the researchers and clinicians to understand the underlying mechanism associated with the tumoricidal properties of DC EVs and the development of a new delivery system in cancer conditions. Besides, the application of sophisticated modalities and technologies can help in the large-scale production of engineered DC EVs for the alleviation of cancer-related pathologies in the clinical setting with high-rate regenerative outcomes.