bims-exocan 2026-04-26 papers

Issue of 2026–04–26
three papers selected by
Muhammad Rizwan, COMSATS University

Int J Nanomedicine. 2026 ;21 585042

Exosomes as Emerging Nanocarriers for Targeted Cancer Therapy.

Yao Du, Di Liu, Jiaxing Liu, Jinling Yu, Zhixiong Hao, Manru Zhang, Jianwen Li, Xueqiang Peng.

Exosomes are nanoscale lipid bilayer vesicles secreted by eukaryotic cells into biological fluids. As an important subtype of extracellular vesicles, they can mediate intercellular material exchange and signal transmission by carrying bioactive substances such as proteins, nucleic acids, and lipids, and participate in the maintenance of physiological homeostasis and the regulation of pathophysiological processes in the body. These biological characteristics make exosomes less likely to be recognized and cleared by the immune system after entering the human body, nor do they cause obvious immune rejection reactions, laying the foundation for their use as delivery carriers. Through engineering techniques, they can be modified, and nucleic acids, small molecule drugs, and other substances can be precisely encapsulated inside exosomes through artificial intervention, forming "exosome-treatment payload" complexes. These complexes can take advantage of the properties of exosomes to significantly enhance their permeability in human tissues and cells, easily cross biological barriers, and promote the enrichment of treatment payloads in specific sites such as tumor tissues, thereby effectively optimizing treatment outcomes. However, the current application of exosomes is still limited by low separation and purification efficiency, high preparation costs, and easy damage to vesicle structure, and the clinical transformation process needs to be accelerated. This review focuses on the latest progress in the research of exosome-targeted delivery platforms, combines existing exosome drug loading technologies, and analyzes the clinical application potential and core challenges of this delivery system in cancer treatment, aiming to provide research directions for the development and clinical transformation of exosome-mediated anti-tumor targeted therapy strategies.

Keywords: cancer; cargo loading; drug delivery system; exosome

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2147/IJN.S585042

Oncol Lett. 2026 Jun;31(6): 225

Role of mesenchymal stem cells and their derived exosomes in cervical cancer: Bidirectional mechanisms and research progress (Review).

Xue Li, Daqing Wang.

Cervical cancer (CC) is one of the most common malignant tumors among women worldwide and it imposes a notable clinical burden. Current traditional treatment methods have certain limitations. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), due to their notable biological properties, have shown broad application prospects in the field of regenerative medicine. The unique tumor homing characteristics and immune regulatory capabilities of MSCs have made them an important research direction for targeted cancer treatment. As the key mediator of MSC functions, their derived exosomes serve an important role in intercellular communication and disease regulation. However, MSCs and their exosomes, as important components of the tumor microenvironment, may have potential tumorigenic risks, which also restrict the progress of related therapies towards clinical application. Therefore, the present review aimed to systematically elaborate on the molecular mechanisms by which MSCs and their exosomes exert both promoting and inhibitory effects in CC and further explore the possible reasons behind this contradictory phenomenon.

Keywords: cervical cancer; diagnosis and treatment; exosomes; mesenchymal stem cells; tumor microenvironment

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3892/ol.2026.15580

ACS Nano. 2026 Apr 24.

A Bioinspired Exosomal Nanoplatform for Coordinated Sorafenib and MicroRNA Delivery to Sensitize Ferroptosis and Induce Immunoactivation in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer.

Yi-Yi Wang, Xuan Zhang, Xi-Yuan Xu, Shang-Jing Bao, Mei Wu, Li-Hua Peng.

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) remains a therapeutic challenge due to its aggressive behavior and lack of targeted treatments. We developed Sor@AKAExo, a bioinspired exosomic nanoplatform that utilizes Anoectochilus roxburghii-derived exosomes both as a nanotherapeutic delivering endogenous miRNAs and as a carrier for incorporating and delivering ferroptosis inducer sorafenib. Functionalization with the AS1411 aptamer enables tumor targeting, while conjugation with the KLA peptide facilitates mitochondrial localization, achieving spatiotemporal codelivery of both miRNAs and sorafenib. Accordingly, Sor@AKAExo synergistically induces ferroptosis and apoptosis through sorafenib-induced GPX4 suppression, lipid peroxidation, mitochondrial dysfunction, and caspase-3 activation. These effects are further enhanced by exosomal miRNA-mediated downregulation of the MAPK pathway and upregulation of the IL-17 and cholesterol metabolism pathways. This dual death-initiating mechanism disrupts the redox homeostasis, overcomes metabolic resistance, and remodels the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment. In vivo, Sor@AKAExo exhibits potent antitumor efficacy with excellent biosafety. This work presents a bioinspired plant-derived exosome-based immunotherapy that synergistically activates both ferroptosis and apoptosis circuits with precise spatiotemporal control, addressing the obstacles of absent active targeting, limited drug delivery efficacy, and adaptive drug resistance in TNBC treatment.

Keywords: bioinspired plant exosomes; ferroptosis; mitochondrial localization; sorafenib; therapeutic miRNA; triple-negative breast cancer; tumor microenvironment remodeling

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1021/acsnano.6c02310