Golden exosomes: a new platform for cancer theranostics

Delivery of therapeutics to tumors is a major challenge, due to the sequence of formidable biological barriers in the body and tumor, which limit the penetration of various nano-carriers and drugs into the tumor. Exosomes are promising vectors for delivery of anti-tumor therapies, due to their biocompatibility, ability to evade clearance, and innate ability to home to, and interact with, target cells. However, promoting clinical application of exosome-based therapeutics requires elucidation of key issues, including exosome bio-distribution, tumor targeting, and the ability to overcome tumor barriers. Here, we examined these parameters using mesenchymal stem cell (MSCs)-derived exosomes loaded with gold nanoparticles (GNPs), aiming to delineate design principles for therapy loading and delivery. This novel technology provides essential and fundamental knowledge on exosomes for enhanced targeted drug delivery to tumors, and has potential to promote clinical translation of exosome-based cancer therapy.