Yuhan Li,1,* Yulong Wang,1,* Hongrui Zhao,2 Qi Pan,3 Guihao Chen3 

1Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, People’s Republic of China; 2Intensive Care Medicine Department, Yuhuangding Hospital, Yantai, People’s Republic of China; 3Department of Cardiology, State Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Disease, National Center for Cardiovascular Diseases, Fuwai Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, People’s Republic of China

*These authors contributed equally to this work

Correspondence: Qi Pan; Guihao Chen, Email dr_qipan@163.com; guihaochen123@126.com

Abstract: Plant-derived exosome-like nanovesicles (PELNs) from edible plants, isolated by ultracentrifugation, size exclusion chromatography or other methods, were proved to contain a variety of biologically active and therapeutically specific components. Recently, investigations in the field of PELN-based biomedicine have been conducted, which positioned those nanovesicles as promising tools for prevention and treatment of several diseases, with their natural origin potentially offering superior biocompatibility and bioavailability. However, the inadequate targeting and limited therapeutic effects constrain the utility and clinical translation of PELNs. Thus, strategies aiming at bridging the gap by engineering natural PELNs have been of great interest. Those approaches include membrane hybridization, physical and chemical surface functionalization and encapsulation of therapeutic payloads. Herein, we provide a comprehensive overview of the biogenesis and composition, isolation and purification methods and characterization of PELNs, as well as their therapeutic functions. Current knowledge on the construction strategies and biomedical application of engineered PELNs were reviewed. Additionally, future directions and perspectives in this field were discussed in order to further enrich and expand the prospects for the application of engineered PELNs.

Keywords: plant-derived exosome-like nanovesicles, nanomedicine, engineered extracellular vesicles, drug delivery systems, targeted therapy