The combined application of exosomes/exosome-based drug preparations and ultrasound

Abstract

Exosomes are small extracellular vesicles with a diameter of 30–150 nm, secreted by a variety of cells and containing various active substances such as nucleic acids, proteins and lipids. The use of exosomes as drug carriers for targeted delivery of therapeutics has been studied for a long time. Ultrasound is recognized as a non-invasive diagnostic and therapeutic method for assisting drug loading and targeted delivery, cellular uptake and therapy. In this review, we summarize the applications of ultrasound in assisting drug loading into exosomes, targeted delivery of exosome-based drug formulations, cellular uptake, and therapy, and explore the prospects for the combined application of exosomes/exosome-based drug formulations and ultrasound.