REVIEW article

Front. Pharmacol.

Sec. Experimental Pharmacology and Drug Discovery

Volume 16 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fphar.2025.1595891

Milk-Derived Extracellular Vesicles: Nature's Nanocarriers for Drug Delivery and Therapeutics

Provisionally accepted
Chen KongChen Kong1,2Long-Bin HuangLong-Bin Huang1,2Mei-feng YangMei-feng Yang3Ning-Ning YueNing-Ning Yue1Yuan ZhangYuan Zhang4Tian Cheng-meiTian Cheng-mei1Yuan-Hui WangYuan-Hui Wang5Dao-Ru WeiDao-Ru Wei1*Rui-Yue ShiRui-Yue Shi1*Yujie LiangYujie Liang6*Jun YaoJun Yao1*Li-sheng WangLi-sheng Wang1De-feng LiDe-feng Li1*
  • 1Shenzhen People's Hospital, Jinan University, Shenzhen, China
  • 2Jinan University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China
  • 3Yantian District People's Hospital, Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, China
  • 4Department of Medical Administration, Huizhou Institute of Occupational Diseases Control and Prevention, Huizhou, Guangdong Province, China
  • 5Jining Medical University, Jining, Shandong, China
  • 6Shenzhen KangNing Hospital, Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, China

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Breast milk-derived extracellular vesicles (MEVs) are natural nanocarriers characterized by their stability, biocompatibility, and low immunogenicity. These small, lipid bilayer-enclosed nanoparticles carry diverse bioactive molecules, including proteins, nucleic acids, and lipids, enabling them to facilitate inter-organismal communication. This review highlights the therapeutic potential of MEVs as innovative drug delivery systems, with a focus on their unique composition, functional properties, and mechanisms of action-from biogenesis and secretion to cellular uptake. We critically examine current methods for isolating and purifying MEVs, addressing challenges related to scalability, purity, cost, and standardization in industrial production. Furthermore, we discuss strategies to enhance the bioavailability and stability of MEVs for pharmaceutical applications. In conclusion, MEVs represent a scalable and costeffective platform for therapeutic delivery, with significant potential in both nutritional and medicinal contexts. Future research should focus on optimizing production processes and advancing clinical translation to fully harness their capabilities.

Keywords: Milk, extracellular vesicles, targeted therapy, Exosomes, Drug delivery

Received: 31 Mar 2025; Accepted: 19 Jun 2025.

Copyright: © 2025 Kong, Huang, Yang, Yue, Zhang, Cheng-mei, Wang, Wei, Shi, Liang, Yao, Wang and Li. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

* Correspondence:
Dao-Ru Wei, Shenzhen People's Hospital, Jinan University, Shenzhen, China
Rui-Yue Shi, Shenzhen People's Hospital, Jinan University, Shenzhen, China
Yujie Liang, Shenzhen KangNing Hospital, Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, China
Jun Yao, Shenzhen People's Hospital, Jinan University, Shenzhen, China
De-feng Li, Shenzhen People's Hospital, Jinan University, Shenzhen, China

Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.

Supplementary Material