Advances in Diagnostics, Prevention, and Therapeutics by Drug-Delivery System

Extracellular vesicles (EVs), which are nano- to micro-sized lipid bilayer membrane particles secreted by host cells, play critical roles in novel intercellular communication mechanisms, mediating the transduction of functional molecules with physiological activity, such as microRNAs, mRNAs, proteins, and lipids. The level of EVs and contents in humans has gained attention for the treatment and early diagnosis of various diseases as a natural drug delivery system (DDS). EVs secreted by Mesenchymal Stem Cells (MSCs) have similar therapeutic effects therapy on MSCs because the therapeutic effects of MSCs are responsible for the paracrine effects of EVs in certain diseases via miRNAs, mRNAs, and proteins as not only functional molecules but also as useful biomarkers. Furthermore, the discovery of predictive biomarkers in the clinical prognosis of various diseases is facilitated by deep learning with state-of-the-art performance through multiple-data analysis.
Adeno-associated virus (AAV) vectors are derived from non-pathogenic viruses and capable of transferring genes into non-dividing cells, which are clinically applied for therapy in some diseases owing to the safety and long-term expression of transduction genes as non-viral DDS. Further scientific and technological breakthroughs are required to refine gene therapy into a more accurate modality for medical applications as a useful DDS. Especially, improvement of gene expression efficacy for reduction of dosage, control of gene expression by optimization of expression level and expression times, elucidation of toxicity mechanism and establishment of toxicity avoidance method, conferment of tropism including effective type and tissue-selective delivery, and reduction of the cost of manufacturing pharmaceuticals necessary for treatment.

In this Research Topic, we encourage researchers to submit original research and review articles. This topic focuses on the advances in diagnostics, prevention, and therapeutics by DDS in various disorders through EVs, miRNAs, proteins, AAV, etc. We welcome but are not limited to, Original Research, Reviews, and perspectives in the following research areas:

・Advanced approaches to EVs engineering as novel DDS
・Research of stem-cell-derived EVs as application of therapeutic strategy
・Novel biomarkers by EVs or microRNAs
・Advances in therapeutic approaches to treat diseases via AAVs
・Advanced research of prediction models in diseases

Keywords: Extracellular vesicles, Mesenchymal Stem Cells, drug delivery system, Novel biomarkers, Adeno-associated virus

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