Turning adversity into opportunity: Small extracellular vesicles as nanocarriers for tumor-associated macrophages re-education

Dario Donoso-Meneses, Aliosha I. Figueroa-Valdés, Nicolás Georges, Hugo E. Tobar, Francisca Alcayaga-Miranda*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalReview articlepeer-review

3 Scopus citations

Abstract

Currently, small extracellular vesicles (sEV) as a nanoscale drug delivery system, are undergoing biotechnological scaling and clinical validation. Nonetheless, preclinical pharmacokinetic studies revealed that sEV are predominantly uptaken by macrophages. Although this “sEV-macrophage” propensity represents a disadvantage in terms of sEV targeting and their bioavailability as nanocarriers, it also represents a strategic advantage for those therapies that involve macrophages. Such is the case of tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs), which can reprogram/repolarize their predominantly immunosuppressive and tumor-supportive phenotype toward an immunostimulatory and anti-tumor phenotype using sEV as nanocarriers of TAMs reprogramming molecules. In this design, sEV represents an advantageous delivery system, providing precision to the therapy by simultaneously matching their tropism to the therapeutic cell target. Here, we review the current knowledge of the role of TAMs in the tumoral microenvironment and the effect generated by the reprogramming of these phagocytic cells fate using sEV. Finally, we discuss how these vesicles can be engineered by different bioengineering techniques to improve their therapeutic cargo loading and preferential uptake by TAMs.

Original languageEnglish
JournalBioengineering and Translational Medicine
DOIs
StateAccepted/In press - 2022

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
The authors specially thank Dr Maroun Khoury and Dr Jimena Cuenca (Medicine Faculty, Universidad de Los Andes, Santiago, Chile) for their helpful scientific discussions, and Paulina Lopez Miranda for the English revision of the manuscript. This work was supported by National Agency for Investigation and Development‐ANID, FONDECYT Regular #1190411, and ANID‐Basal funding for Scientific and Technological Center of Excellence, IMPACT #FB210024.

Funding Information:
ANID‐National Agency for Investigation and Development, FONDECYT Regular, Grant/Award Number: 1190411; ANID‐Basal funding for Scientific and Technological Center of Excellence, IMPACT, Grant/Award Number: FB210024 Funding information

Publisher Copyright:
© 2022 The Authors. Bioengineering & Translational Medicine published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of American Institute of Chemical Engineers.

Keywords

  • cancer
  • immunotherapy
  • macrophages
  • nanocarrier engineering
  • small extracellular vesicles
  • TAMs re-education

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Turning adversity into opportunity: Small extracellular vesicles as nanocarriers for tumor-associated macrophages re-education'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this