Extracellular Vesicles: The Next Frontier in Regenerative Medicine and Drug Delivery

Abstract

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are nanosized membrane particles secreted by cells to convey intercellular information. In recent years, EVs have enticed scientists owing to their prevalent distribution, enormous possibility as therapeutic aspirants, and probable roles as disease biomarkers. As natural transporters in the endogenous communication system, they play a role in protein, lipid, miRNA, mRNA, and DNA transport. In this chapter, we recapitulate the roles of EVs in the vast field of regenerative medicine. This summary mainly describes the potential roles of EVs in the regeneration of extensively studied organs or tissues, such as the heart, kidney, lung, liver, skin, and hair. Furthermore, EV can also transport drugs and corroborate their uptake by target cells through endocytosis; therefore, this chapter also highlights the use of EVs in the field of drug delivery.