Table 3 Comparison of exosomes with other delivery vectors
Type of drug delivery vectors | Advantage | Disadvantage |
|---|---|---|
Exosome | Good biocompatibility Stability Low immunogenicity and cytotoxicity Targeting ability Crossing of biological barriers | Lack of standardized separation and purification methods Heterogeneity Low drug loading efficiency Limited mass production |
Liposome | Good biocompatibility Easy surface modification Wide adaptability to loaded drugs Long blood circulation time High bioavailability and safety Similar to cell membrane structure | Long-term application only for small molecule drug delivery Low drug loading rate Poor stability, easy oxidation of phospholipids, susceptible to metals, radiation, high temperature, PH, and enzymes Induces a toxic immune response in vivo, mainly in the liver |
Polymer nanoparticle | Good biocompatibility, biodegradability High therapeutic drug load Easy absorption, controlled drug release Ligand or targeted modification of polymer surface can achieve multifunctional drug delivery | Easy to bind to negatively charged nonspecific cells or proteins High cytotoxicity Low gene transfection efficiency |
Micelle | Enter living cells without the use of transfection agents Long retention time in vivo Good tissue permeability、 Biocompatibility, biodegradability Easy structure modification and special "core–shell" structure Uniformity, small volume | Poor physical stability Easy to cause drug leakage and sudden release |
Inorganic/metallic nanoparticles | Small and uniform size Unique physical and chemical properties, such as optical, magnetic, electrical, acoustic Easy to degrade in a short time Nonimmunogenic | Low biocompatibility Biotoxicity |