Exosomes are cell-secreted nano-sized vesicles which deliver diverse biological molecules for intercellular communication. Due to their therapeutic potential, exosomes have been engineered in numerous ways for efficient delivery of active pharmaceutical ingredients to various target organs, tissues, and cells. In vivo administered exosomes are normally delivered to the liver, spleen, kidney, lung, and gastrointestinal tract and show rapid clearance from the blood circulation after systemic injection. The biodistribution and pharmacokinetics (PK) of exosomes can be modulated by engineering various factors such as cellular origin and membrane protein composition of exosomes. Recent advances accentuate the potential of targeted delivery of engineered exosomes even to the most challenging organs including the central nervous system. Major breakthroughs have been made related to various imaging techniques for monitoring in vivo biodistribution and PK of exosomes, as well as exosomal surface engineering technologies for inducing targetability. For inducing targeted delivery, therapeutic exosomes can be engineered to express various targeting moieties via direct modification methods such as chemically modifying exosomal surfaces with covalenton-covalent bonds, or via indirect modification methods by genetically engineering exosome-producing cells. In this review, we describe the current knowledge of biodistribution and PK of exosomes, factors determining the targetability and organotropism of exosomes, and imaging technologies to monitor in vivo administered exosomes. In addition, we highlight recent advances in strategies for inducing targeted delivery of exosomes to specific organs and cells.

Exosomes are cell-secreted nano-sized vesicles which deliver diverse biological molecules for intercellular communication. Due to their therapeutic potential, exosomes have been engineered in numerous ways for efficient delivery of active pharmaceutical ingredients to various target organs, tissues, and cells. In vivo administered exosomes are normally delivered to the liver, spleen, kidney, lung, and gastrointestinal tract and show rapid clearance from the blood circulation after systemic injection. The biodistribution and pharmacokinetics (PK) of exosomes can be modulated by engineering various factors such as cellular origin and membrane protein composition of exosomes. Recent advances accentuate the potential of targeted delivery of engineered exosomes even to the most challenging organs including the central nervous system. Major breakthroughs have been made related to various imaging techniques for monitoring in vivo biodistribution and PK of exosomes, as well as exosomal surface engineering technologies for inducing targetability. For inducing targeted delivery, therapeutic exosomes can be engineered to express various targeting moieties via direct modification methods such as chemically modifying exosomal surfaces with covalenton-covalent bonds, or via indirect modification methods by genetically engineering exosome-producing cells. In this review, we describe the current knowledge of biodistribution and PK of exosomes, factors determining the targetability and organotropism of exosomes, and imaging technologies to monitor in vivo administered exosomes. In addition, we highlight recent advances in strategies for inducing targeted delivery of exosomes to specific organs and cells.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study is to evaluate the efficacy of mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) isolation by the magnetic-activated cell sorting (MACS) method in tendon tissue-derived cells compared to the colony picking method for isolation of MSCs by picking colonyforming cells. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Human tendon-derived cells were isolated by enzyme digestion using normal tendon tissues from three donors. We used the magnetic kit and well-known MSC markers (CD90 or CD105) to isolate MSCs in tendon-derived cells using MACS. Cloning cylinders were used to isolate colony-forming cells having MSC characteristics in tendon-derived cells. Colony-forming unitfibroblast (CFU-F) assay was used to evaluate the self-renewal capacity of cells isolated using the colony picking method or MACS. For comparison of differentiation potentials into osteogenic or adipogenic lineage between two groups, alizarin red S and oil red O staining were performed at 14 days after induction of differentiation in vitro. RESULTS: Flow cytometry results showed that early passage tendon-derived cells expressed CD44 in 99.13%, CD90 in 56.51%, and CD105 in 86.19%. In the CFU-F assay, CD90+ or CD105+ cells isolated with MACS showed larger colony formation in size than cells isolated using the colony picking method. We also observed that CD90+ or CD105+ cells were constantly differentiated into both osteogenic and adipogenic lineages in cells from all donors, whereas cells isolated using the colony picking method were heterogeneous in differentiation potentials to the osteogenic and adipogenic lineages. CONCLUSION: CD90+ or CD105+ cells isolated using MACS showed superior MSC characteristics in the self-renewal and multi-differentiation capacities compared with cells isolated using the colony picking method.
Clone Cells ; Cloning, Organism ; Digestion ; Flow Cytometry ; Humans ; Mesenchymal Stromal Cells* ; Tendons ; Tissue Donors

With an incidence of 1 per 2,500-3,000 individuals, neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) is the most common autosomal dominant disorder in humans. NF1 is caused by germline mutations of the NF1 gene, but to date genotype-phenotype analyses have indicated no clear relationship between specific gene mutations and the clinical features of this disease, even among family members with the same mutation. The present study describes a case of two siblings with NF1 with the same genetic mutation but different clinical manifestations. The first patient was a female with iris Lisch nodules, an adrenal incidentaloma, Graves' disease, and skin manifestations, while the second patient, the first patient's younger brother, exhibited only skin neurofibromas and freckling. Further study is needed to reveal the molecular processes underlying gene expression and phenotypes. A better understanding of the genetics associated with NF1 will allow clinicians to detect complications earlier and provide better genetic counseling to NF1 families.
Female ; Gene Expression ; Genes, Neurofibromatosis 1* ; Genetic Counseling ; Genetics ; Germ-Line Mutation ; Graves Disease ; Humans ; Incidence ; Iris ; Neurofibroma ; Neurofibromatoses* ; Neurofibromatosis 1* ; Phenotype ; Siblings ; Skin ; Skin Manifestations