Exosomes: Cellular capsules for drug delivery in parkinson’s disease

Exosomes are nano-sized vesicles secreted by different cell types that play a crucial role in cell-to-cell communication and mediate the transfer of genetic information between different cell types. They are composed of lipids and carry a well-sorted cargo of different types of RNA and proteins, which is reflective of their cellular origin as well as the disease pathophysiology. Their natural ability to deliver these biomolecules across the blood-brain barrier (BBB) makes them an attractive option to be harnessed as drug-delivery vehicles for therapeutic delivery in neurodegenerative disorders. As drug-delivery vehicles, exosomes have been used to deliver small interfering RNAs and proteins to the brain and have shown clear therapeutic effects in animal models of Parkinson’s disease (PD). The presence of biological markers, enhanced stability of cargo, and the amenability of exosomes to surface modifications for targeted delivery of therapeutics to specific cell types makes them promising candidates for the development of novel diagnostic and therapeutic approaches for PD.