已发表论文

外泌体工程修饰在肿瘤靶向治疗中的策略、挑战和应用前景

 

Authors Ge X, Shan S, Lu H, Wang W, Gao C, Fu S

Received 6 October 2025

Accepted for publication 8 January 2026

Published 30 January 2026 Volume 2026:21 572435

DOI https://doi.org/10.2147/IJN.S572435

Checked for plagiarism Yes

Review by Single anonymous peer review

Peer reviewer comments 3

Editor who approved publication: Professor Xing Zhang

Xiaoyan Ge,1,2,* Shuo Shan,1,* Haozhong Lu,2 Weihua Wang,1 Chao Gao,1 Shunli Fu1 

1Tumor Immunology and Cytotherapy of Medical Research Center, Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Clinical Research for Pancreatic Diseases, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University; Qingdao University, Qingdao, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Pharmacy, Qingdao Mental Health Center, Qingdao, People’s Republic of China

*These authors contributed equally to this work

Correspondence: Shunli Fu, Tumor Immunology and Cytotherapy of Medical Research Center, Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Clinical Research for Pancreatic Diseases, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University; Qingdao University, Qingdao, People’s Republic of China, Email 17854160137@163.com Chao Gao, Tumor Immunology and Cytotherapy of Medical Research Center, Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Clinical Research for Pancreatic Diseases, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University; Qingdao University, Qingdao, People’s Republic of China, Email gaochao@bjmu.edu.cn

Abstract: Nanodrugs have significantly revolutionized tumor therapy. Nevertheless, conventional nanodrug delivery systems suffer from a critical limitation: only ~0.7% of administered nanoparticles effectively accumulate in solid tumors, severely restricting clinical therapeutic efficacy. In recent years, exosomes—natural extracellular vesicles—have emerged as highly promising candidates for tumor-targeted drug delivery. Endowed with inherent low immunogenicity, excellent biocompatibility, and intrinsic capacity to traverse biological barriers, exosomes offer distinct advantages over conventional nanocarriers. Their characteristic lipid bilayer membrane not only protects encapsulated cargo but also enables surface engineering for functional optimization. Through strategic engineering modifications, exosomes can be endowed with enhanced tumor-targeting specificity, tunable payload release profiles, and multimodal functionalities, thus enabling the development of “smart” therapeutic platforms. This review systematically outlines current methodologies for exosome isolation and characterization, with a particular focus on engineering strategies aimed at augmenting tumor targeting. We comprehensively analyze approaches based on physical manipulation, chemical conjugation, and biological engineering. Furthermore, we summarize recent advances in exosome-based targeted cancer therapies and discuss key challenges related to scalability, standardization, regulatory approval, and clinical translation. Finally, we highlight emerging opportunities and future perspectives for next-generation exosome-engineered therapeutic development, aiming to provide a robust technical and conceptual foundation for advancing tumor therapy.

Keywords: exosome, engineering modifications, tumor targeted therapeutics, nanotechnology