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Volume 26, Issue 3
  • ISSN: 1389-2010
  • E-ISSN: 1873-4316

Abstract

Background

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are emerging as potential drug carriers in the fight against COVID-19. This study investigates the ability of EVs as drug carriers to target SARS-CoV-2-infected cells.

Methods

EVs were modified using Xstamp technology to carry the virus’s RBD, enhancing targeting ability to hACE2+ cells and improving drug delivery efficiency. Characterization confirmed EVs’ suitability as drug carriers. For tests, A549, Caco-2, and 4T1 cells were used to assess the targeting specificity of EVRs (EVs with membrane-surface enriched RBD). Moreover, we utilized an lung tissue model overexpressing hACE2 as an model to confirm the targeting capability of EVRs toward lung tissue. The study also evaluated drug loading efficiency and assessed the potential of the anti-inflammatory activity on A549 lung cancer cells exposed to lipopolysaccharide.

Results

The results demonstrate the successful construction of RBD-fused EVRs on the membrane-surface. In both and models, EVRs significantly enhance their targeting ability towards hACE2+ cells, rendering them a safe and efficient drug carrier. Furthermore, ultrasound loading efficiently incorporates IL-10 into EVRs, establishing an effective drug delivery system that ameliorates the pro-inflammatory response induced by LPS-stimulated A549 cells.

Conclusion

These findings indicate promising opportunities for engineered EVs as a novel nanomedicine carrier, offering valuable insights for therapeutic strategies against COVID-19 and other diseases.

© 2025 Bentham Science Publishers
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2025-04-25

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Targeted Drug Delivery to ACE2+ Cells Using Engineered Extracellular Vesicles: A Potential Therapeutic Approach for COVID-19
Current Pharmaceutical Biotechnology 26, 443 (2025); https://doi.org/10.2174/0113892010282251240324123038
/content/journals/cpb/10.2174/0113892010282251240324123038
/content/journals/cpb/10.2174/0113892010282251240324123038
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  • Article Type:     Research Article
Keyword(s): COVID-19; drug-targeted delivery; Extracellular vesicles; hACE2; SARS-CoV-2; Xstamp

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