Emerging role of engineered exosomes in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease

Abstract

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the most common chronic liver disease worldwide. NAFLD comprises a continuum of liver abnormalities from nonalcoholic fatty liver to nonalcoholic steatohepatitis, and can even lead to cirrhosis and liver cancer. However, a well-established treatment for NAFLD has yet to be identified. Exosomes have become an ideal drug delivery tool because of their high transmissibility, low immunogenicity, easy accessibility and targeting. Exosomes with specific modifications, known as engineered exosomes, have the potential to treat a variety of diseases. Here, we review the treatment of NAFLD with engineered exosomes and the potential use of exosomes as biomarkers and therapeutic targets for NAFLD.

Priming mesenchymal stem cells to develop “super stem cells”

“…More interesting is the emerging strategy of gene manipulation of exosomes and loading them with pharmacological agents for targeted delivery to the recipient tissues and organs in the body for cell-free therapy[ 118 - 120 ]. All these strategies have already been used and assessed in the preclinical and translational experimental models[ 121 ].…”