Development of urinary extracellular vesicles as a drug delivery system

Abstract

In the field of biomedicine, development of a drug delivery system that ensures stability of cargo, biocompatibility, and therapeutic efficacy has been an important task. In this study, we evaluated urinary extracellular vesicles (UEVs) derived from murine urine, and investigated its potential as carriers for drug delivery for the first time. UEVs were delivered to various types of cells from 4T1, mouse brain endothelial, and RAW 264.7 cell lines. They were taken up by the cells significantly, indicating the possibility of its use for a wide spectrum of disease targets. Tumor accumulation of UEVs when compared to control liposomes was seen for intravenous administration. Here, we showed that UEVs has potential as a drug-carrier for personalized medicine due to its great yield, biocompatibility, and stability in vivo.