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. 2023 Mar 15;8:124. doi: 10.1038/s41392-023-01382-y

Table 2.

The preclinical trials of engineered exosomes

Tumor models Putative name Clinical therapy Mechanisms Ref.
NSCLC AA-PEG-exoPTX CT Target the sigma receptor on lung cancer cells 111
NSCLC EXO-DTX CT Enhance the cytotoxicity of DTX 110
BC SBC-EV(ICG/PTX) CT

Improve the cellular uptake of ICG

Release the PTX in response to acidic pH in the endo/lysosomes

75
BC TEX-Liposome-PTX-GNR-PEG CT

Activate GNR-mediated thermal ablation

Increase the level of CD8+ T cells in lungs

Improve the concentration of serum cytokines (tumor necrosis factor-α, interlekin-6, and interferon-γ)

87
BC DOX -TEVGIONs CT

Block the function of endogenous oncogenic miR-21

Attenuate DOX resistance

Enhance T2 contrast in in vitro MR imaging

95
CRC THLGEXO/5-FU/miR-21i CT

Induce cell cycle arrest, reduced tumor proliferation, increased apoptosis and rescued PTEN and hMSH2 expressions

Reverse drug resistance and significantly enhanced the cytotoxicity in 5-FU-resistant colon cancer

233
CRC PGM5‐AS1-oxaliplatin-EXO CT

Prevent proliferation, migration, and acquired oxaliplatin tolerance

Reverse drug resistance

Activate alternate splicing to downregulate PAEP expression

Act as a sponge to upregulate the NME1 expression

89
LC DDRi@CAT-PD-M1Exos RT

Relieve tumor hypoxia

Enhance DNA damage

Inhibit DNA damage repair

Polarize M2 macrophages into M1 phenotypes

Relieve the immunosuppression of T cells

125
HCC NIS-EV RT

Facilitate radioiodine uptake

Enhance the antitumor effects of 131I radiotherapy

130
GBM RGD-siPD-L1-EV RT

Enhance the targeting efficiency of RGD-EV

Reverse radiation-stimulated PD-L1 expression

Recruit tumor-associated myeloid cells

Increase CD8+ cytotoxic T cells

124
Melanoma/CRC PASEV PDT

Release ROS-responsive siPAK4

Prime the TME

Boost intratumoral infiltration and immune activation

141
HCC Er/RB@ExosCD47 PDT

Make the exosomes effectively escape the phagocytosis of MPS

Induce ferroptosis after irradiation of 532 nm laser

132
CRC/BC ChiP-Exo PDT

Disrupt the membrane integrity

Improve the cytosolic delivery of ChiP-Exo under the first-stage light

Enhance its nuclear delivery under the second-stage light

Activate ROS in situ to disrupt nuclei

142
Pancreatic cancer Ce6-R-Exo PDT

Generate ROS inside tumor cells under laser irradiation

Increase the release of cytokines from immune cells

187
CRC I/R@hGLV PTT

Increase the long blood circulation Improve the macrophages-mediated the phagocytosis of tumor cells

Lead to immunogenic cell death

Generate TAA

Promote the maturation of immature DCs

67
BC TEX-Liposome-PTX PTT

Activate the adaptive antitumor immune response

Increase the level of CD8+ T cells

Improve the concentration of serum cytokines

Enhance The therapeutic efficacy combined with thermal ablation, adaptive antitumor immunotherapy, and targeted PTX chemotherapy.

87
BC/ LC V2C-TAT@Ex-RGD PTT

Target the cells

Enter the nucleus to realize low-temperature PTT

96
BC/ CC CDs:Gd,Dy-TAT@Exo-RGD PTT

Accumulate at cancer site with an increased concentration

CDs induce localized hyperpyrexia to ablate tumors

Exhibit higher MRI/CT imaging contrast enhancement of tumor sites

163
BC ID@E-MSNs PTT

Retain the photothermal effect of ICG and cytotoxicity of DOX

Produce hyperthermia to collapse E-MSNs nanovehicles, accelerate drug release, and induce tumor ablation under 808 nm near-infrared irradiation

Inhibit the growth and metastasis of tumor

103
BC/CC/leukemia Exo-DOX-Fe3O4@PDA-MB PTT

Enable enrichment of the exosomes at the tumor site by external magnetic field guidance.

Utilize localized hyperthermia to trigger the release of cargoes

Target the miR-21 for both imaging and gene silencing

Kill the cancer cells via DOX

106
GBM CAT@SiO2-ICG SDT

Possess efficient BBB penetration and good cancer cell-targeting capability

Relieve tumor hypoxia

50
PC ExoCe6+R848 SDT

Enhanced R848-mediated DCs maturation

Reprogram macrophages from M2 phenotype to M1 phenotype

Activate effector T cells

Revert the immunosuppressive TME

90
BC/CRC EXO-DVDMS SDT

Trigger DVDMS relocation

Initiate multiple cells death-signaling pathways

Facilitate simultaneous imaging and tumor metastasis inhibition

231
BC SBC-EV(ICG/PTX) SDT

Improve the cellular uptake of ICG

Release the PTX in response to acidic pH in the endo/lysosomes

Burst exosome membranes by CO2 bubbles

75
BC FA-ExoICG SDT

Improve aqueous stability

Promote cellular uptake of ICG

Increase ROS generation

Trigger sonotoxicity against cancer cells

232
BC Let-7 miRNA -AS1411-Exo/VEGF siRNA -AS1411-Exo GT Inhibit malignant growth of cancer cells by reducing MYC and RAS expression 201
BC HER2/Neu-siRNA TPD52-Exo GT

Bind specifically to HER2/Neu

Deliver siRNA molecules against TPD52 gene

206
BC miR-379 -Exo GT

Elevate miR-379

Reduce COX-2 mRNA and protein in vitro and in vivo

214
BC uPA-eEV-PNCs GT

Overexpress miRNA-10b and miRNA-21

Alleviate chemoresistance and metastatic potential

175
BC 293-miR-XS-HER2 GT

Block HER2 synthesis

Adhere to HER2 on the surface of cancer cells

216
BC/ Leukemia ASOCXCR4+EGFR+EpCAM -Exo GT

Knockdown oncogenic miR-125b

Target to CXCR4

211
BC/l LC miRNA-231-Exo GT

Recognize lung cancer cells in blood

Escape from the immune surveillance system in vitro

Suppress lung cancer cell proliferation and migration

Interrupt the PTEN/PI3K/AKT pathway

213
BC/HCC/CC CRISPR-Cas9-Exo GT

Downregulate GFP or WNT10B

Reduce WNT10B in vitro, ex vivo, and in vivo

221
OS miR-317b-5b-Exo GT

Enhance the internalization of miR317b-5b in tumor cells

Suppress cell viability, proliferation, migratory and invasive capability

Promote apoptosis

204
OS cRGD-Exo-MEG3 GT Unclear 205
OS miR-101-Exo GT

Reduce BCL6 mRNA and protein

Target BCL6 via miR-101

219
LC Hybrid Lipid-Exo GT NA 202
LC β-catenin siRNA-Exo GT

Bind to EpCAM

Decrease β-catenin expression and proliferation

210
HCC miR-26a-Exo GT

Bind selectively to cancer cells via the scavenger receptor class B type 1–Apo-A1 complex

Promote the internalization by receptor-mediated endocytosis

Upregulate miR-26a expression

Decrease the rates of cell migration and proliferation

212
HCC HN3LC9-293exo GT

Target GPC3 with high affinity

Direct Cas9 protein to the site of IQGAP1 in the genomic locus for efficient cleavage

209
HCC miR-125b-Exo GT

Overexpress miR-125b in HCC cells

Induce cell cycle arrest

Inhibit proliferation, migration, and invasion

207
GC/CRC/ LC CXCR4high Exo/si-Survivin GT

Bind to the highly expressed stromal cell-derived factor-1 (SDF-1) on the tumor surface

Knock down the Survivin gene in tumor cells in vivo and thereby inhibiting tumor growth

217
PC PSMA-EMs GT

Trigger PSMA-mediated endocytosis

Release drug intracellularly

215
PC SIRT6 siRNA-Exo GT

Activate multiple cancer-related signaling pathways, especially the Notch pathway

Silence SIRT6

Inhibit tumor growth and metastasis

48
LC sgRNA:Cas9-Exo GT Enrich sgRNAs and Cas9 proteins in exosomes using GFP-binding nanobody 218
PDAC KrasG12D RNAi-Exo GT Knockdown KrasG12D via siRNA or shRNA 60
GBM MNP@BQR@ANG-EXOsiGPX4 GT

Accumulate in the brain under local magnetic localization

Trigger transcytosis

Target GBM cells by recognizing the LRP-1 receptor

Trigger ferroptosis by the combined triple actions of the disintegration of dihydroorotate dehydrogenase and the glutathione peroxidase 4 ferroptosis defense axis with Fe3O4 nanoparticle-mediated Fe2+ release

127
GC RGD-Exo-circDIDO1 GT Inhibit GC progression by regulating the expression of the signal transducer inhibitor SOSC2 through sponging miR-1307-3p 208
Glioma miR-29a-3p-Exo GT

Inhibit migration and VM formation

Target ROBO1 via miR-29a-3p

220
BC IL4R-Exo(si/mi) IT

Foster M1 polarization by NF-B p50 siRNA and miR-511-3p

Target the IL4R of TAMs

194
BC aCD47/aSIRPα-Exo IT

Cleave the benzoic-imine bonds of exosomes nanobioconjugates in the acidic TME

Block SIRPα on macrophages and CD47

Transit the macrophages from pro-tumoral M2 to antitumoral M1

193
BC GEMINI-Exos IT Redirect and activate T cells toward killing EGFR-positive TNBC 179
BC HPV-E7-Exo IT

Trigger a stronger antigen cross-presentation in both B- lymphoblastoid cell and monocyte-derived immature DCs

Increase TAA-specific CD8+ T cell

225
BC HELA-Exos IT

Induce ICD in breast cancer.

Activate cDC1s in situ

Cross-prime tumor-reactive CD8+ T-cell response

230
BC SMART-Exos IT

Target T-cell CD3 and breast cancer-associated HER2 receptors dually

Redirect and activate cytotoxic T cells toward attacking HER2-expressing breast cancer

56
BC/NSCLC EGFR / HER2 CAR -Exo IT Express a high level of cytotoxic molecules without PD1 182
BC/ LC HER2/neu/Nefmut -Exo IT

Target antigen-specific CD8+ T lymphocytes

Activate HER2-directed CTL activity

224
BC/Lymphoma/Melanoma aMT-exos IT

Prime T-cell activation in both the classical antigen-presenting cell-induced immunostimulatory manner and a unique “direct exosomes interaction” manner

Ameliorate immunosuppression

92
BC/CRC/NSCLC/Melanoma eNVs-FAP IT

Induce strong and specific CTL immune responses against tumor cells and FAP + CAFs

Reprogram the immunosuppressive TME

Promote tumor ferroptosis by releasing interferon-gamma (IFN- γ) from CTLs and depleting FAP + CAFs.

51
Melanoma CpG-SAV-exo IT

Activate DC2.4 cells

Enhance tumor antigen presentation capacity

Exhibit stronger antitumor effects in vivo

86
Melanoma Exo-OVA-aCD3/aEGFR IT

Activate endogenous T cells efficiently

Crosslink with cancer cells

Upregulate PD-L1 expression

55
LC Nefmut/E7-Exo IT Trigger CD8+ T-cell immune response 222
B-LCL HPV-E6-Exo IT

Trigger a stronger antigen cross-presentation in both B- lymphoblastoid and monocyte-derived immature DCs

Increase TAA-specific CD8+ T cells

223
Myeloma EXOHSP IT

Stimulate maturation of DCs

Activate Th1 cell responses, and more efficient P1A-specific CD8+ CTL responses

93
CML CoEX-A2s IT

Stimulate antigen-specific CD8+ T cells both directly and indirectly via CoEX-A2 crossdressed cells

Generate HCMV pp65-specific and MART1-specific CD8+ T cells as DEX in vitro

227
HCC DEXP&A2&N IT

Promote recruitment, accumulation and activation of DCs

Enhance cross-presentation of tumor neoantigens and de novo T-cell response.

Increase immunological memory against tumor re-challenge

183
Myeloma EXOTNF-a IT Induce more efficient P1A-specific CD8þ T-cell response 229
CRC ExoASO-STAT6 IT

Silence STAT6 expression in TAMs

Remodel the TME

Generate CD8+ T cell-mediated adaptive immune response

88

CC cervical cancer, OS osteosarcoma, PC prostate cancer, GBM glioblastoma, PDAC pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, GC gastric cancer, BC breast cancer, NSCLC Non-small cell lung cancer, LC lung cancer, CML chronic myelogenous leukemia, HCC hepatocellular cancer, CRC Colorectal cancer, STAT6 signal transducer and activator of transcription 6, IT immune therapy, CTL cytotoxic T, lymphocyte, ICD immunogenic cell death, TNBC triple-negative breast cancer, TAMs tumor-associated macrophages, GBM glioblastoma, GFP green fluorescent protein, PSMA prostate-specific membrane antigen, GT gene therapy, BCL6 B cell lymphoma, CXCR4 CXC chemokine receptor type 4, HER2 human epidermal growth factor receptor 2, ICG Indocyanine green, SDT Sonodynamic therapy, BBB blood-brain barrier, DCs dendritic cells, TAA tumor-associated antigen, PTT photothermal therapy, PDT Photodynamic therapy, ROS reactive oxygen species, TME tumor microenvironment, RT radiotherapy, 5-FU 5-Fluorouracil, MR magnetic resonance, GNR gold nanorods, PTX paclitaxel, DTX docetaxel, CT Chemotherapy, GNP gold nanoparticle, SIRPα signal regulatory protein α, DOX doxorubicin