To Protect and to Preserve: Novel Preservation Strategies for Extracellular Vesicles

Gina D. Kusuma, Mehri Barabadi, Jean L. Tan, David A. V. Morton, Jessica E. Frith, Rebecca Lim

Research output: Contribution to journalReview ArticleResearchpeer-review

155 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Extracellular vesicles (EVs)-based therapeutics are based on the premise that EVs shed by stem cells exert similar therapeutic effects and these have been proposed as an alternative to cell therapies. EV-mediated delivery is an effective and efficient system of cell-to-cell communication which can confer therapeutic benefits to their target cells. EVs have been shown to promote tissue repair and regeneration in various animal models such as, wound healing, cardiac ischemia, diabetes, lung fibrosis, kidney injury, and many others. Given the unique attributes of EVs, considerable thought must be given to the preservation, formulation and cold chain strategies in order to effectively translate exciting preclinical observations to clinical and commercial success. This review summarizes current understanding around EV preservation, challenges in maintaining EV quality, and also bioengineering advances aimed at enhancing the long-term stability of EVs.
Original languageEnglish
Article number1199
Number of pages17
JournalFrontiers in Pharmacology
Volume9
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 29 Oct 2018

Keywords

  • nanomedicine
  • exosomes
  • extracellular vesicles
  • biomaterials
  • cryopreservation
  • regenerative medicine
  • biologics

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