Extracellular Vesicles and Bioinspired Nanovesicles as Next-Generation Drug-Delivery Systems

Dear Colleagues,

Developing nanocarriers such as liposomes, micelles, polymeric nanoparticles and hybrid nanoparticles for advanced drug delivery remains a persistent challenge because of limitations like targeting specificity, immunogenicity and poor biological compatibility. To overcome these limitations, progress in drug-delivery systems is needed in the field of nanomedicines. Recently, extracellular vesicles (EVs) from various natural sources have advanced rapidly in nanomedicine applications. Originating from endosomal or plasma membrane pathways, EVs such as exosomes and microvesicles carry diverse bioactive molecules—including proteins, lipids and nucleic acids—that reflect their parent cells’ molecular signatures. Their inherent stability, low immunogenicity and ability to cross biological barriers, especially the blood–brain barrier, make them strong candidates for precision drug delivery.

Natural EVs have limitations in their isolation and scalability. Therefore, bioinspired nanovesicles (BNVs) have been studied to mimic the physicochemical and biological properties of EVs while enabling controlled production and tunable composition. Various natural sources, such as mammalian cell lines, milk, fruits, plant roots or leaves, have been used to produce BNVs. Common methods include coating nanoparticles with cell membranes, mechanical extrusion to create exosome-like vesicles and combining natural and synthetic components to form hybrid systems. Both EVs and BNVs can be engineered to carry a variety of therapeutic agents, from small molecules and proteins to nucleic acids, using passive or active loading techniques.

Therapeutically, these vesicular systems have shown potential in various applications, including targeted cancer therapy, gene silencing, immunomodulation and treating neurological, cardiovascular and infectious diseases. Despite their promise, major challenges remain in large-scale production, purification, standardization and ensuring consistent biological activity.

Continued integration of synthetic biology, nanotechnology and bioengineering is expected to accelerate the translation of EVs and BNVs into clinically viable drug-delivery systems. As the field evolves, these bioinspired platforms may redefine the next generation of safe, efficient and personalized therapeutics.

Dr. Jagannath Mondal
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Pharmaceuticals is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2900 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.