Milk-derived extracellular vesicles: nature’s nanocarriers for drug delivery and therapeutics
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...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2025-08-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Pharmacology |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphar.2025.1595891/full |
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| author | Chen Kong Long-bin Huang Mei-feng Yang Ning-ning Yue Yuan Zhang Cheng-mei Tian Yuan-hui Wang Dao-ru Wei Rui-yue Shi Yu-jie Liang Jun Yao Jun Yao Li-sheng Wang Li-sheng Wang De-feng Li De-feng Li |
| author_facet | Chen Kong Long-bin Huang Mei-feng Yang Ning-ning Yue Yuan Zhang Cheng-mei Tian Yuan-hui Wang Dao-ru Wei Rui-yue Shi Yu-jie Liang Jun Yao Jun Yao Li-sheng Wang Li-sheng Wang De-feng Li De-feng Li |
| author_sort | Chen Kong |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | 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 cost-effective 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. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-eb4df7ce50fb44f8a5a0c4d3072692af |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1663-9812 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-08-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Pharmacology |
| spelling | doaj-art-eb4df7ce50fb44f8a5a0c4d3072692af2025-08-20T04:02:05ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Pharmacology1663-98122025-08-011610.3389/fphar.2025.15958911595891Milk-derived extracellular vesicles: nature’s nanocarriers for drug delivery and therapeuticsChen Kong0Long-bin Huang1Mei-feng Yang2Ning-ning Yue3Yuan Zhang4Cheng-mei Tian5Yuan-hui Wang6Dao-ru Wei7Rui-yue Shi8Yu-jie Liang9Jun Yao10Jun Yao11Li-sheng Wang12Li-sheng Wang13De-feng Li14De-feng Li15Department of Gastroenterology, Shenzhen People’s Hospital, The Second Clinical Medical College, Jinan University, Shenzhen, Guangdong, ChinaDepartment of Gastroenterology, Shenzhen People’s Hospital, The Second Clinical Medical College, Jinan University, Shenzhen, Guangdong, ChinaDepartment of General Medicine, Yantian District People’s Hospital, Shenzhen, Guangdong, ChinaDepartment of Gastroenterology, Shenzhen People’s Hospital, The Second Clinical Medical College, Jinan University, Shenzhen, Guangdong, ChinaDepartment of Medical Administration, Huizhou Institute of Occupational Diseases Control and Prevention, Huizhou, Guangdong, ChinaDepartment of Emergency, Shenzhen People’s Hospital (The Second Clinical Medical College, Jinan University, The First Affiliated Hospital, Southern University of Science and Technology), Shenzhen, Guangdong, ChinaCollege of Rehabilitation Medicine, Jining Medical University, Jining, Shandong, ChinaDepartment of Rehabilitation, Shenzhen People’s Hospital (The Second Clinical Medical College, Jinan University, The First Affiliated Hospital, Southern University of Science and Technology), Shenzhen, Guangdong, ChinaDepartment of Gastroenterology, Shenzhen People’s Hospital, The Second Clinical Medical College, Jinan University, Shenzhen, Guangdong, ChinaDepartment of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Shenzhen Kangning Hospital, Shenzhen Mental Health Center, Shenzhen, Guangdong, ChinaDepartment of Gastroenterology, Shenzhen People’s Hospital, The Second Clinical Medical College, Jinan University, Shenzhen, Guangdong, ChinaDepartment of Gastroenterology, Shenzhen People’s Hospital (The Second Clinical Medical College, Jinan University, The First Affiliated Hospital, Southern University of Science and Technology), Shenzhen, Guangdong, ChinaDepartment of Gastroenterology, Shenzhen People’s Hospital, The Second Clinical Medical College, Jinan University, Shenzhen, Guangdong, ChinaDepartment of Gastroenterology, Shenzhen People’s Hospital (The Second Clinical Medical College, Jinan University, The First Affiliated Hospital, Southern University of Science and Technology), Shenzhen, Guangdong, ChinaDepartment of Gastroenterology, Shenzhen People’s Hospital, The Second Clinical Medical College, Jinan University, Shenzhen, Guangdong, ChinaDepartment of Gastroenterology, Shenzhen People’s Hospital (The Second Clinical Medical College, Jinan University, The First Affiliated Hospital, Southern University of Science and Technology), Shenzhen, Guangdong, ChinaBreast 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 cost-effective 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.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphar.2025.1595891/fullmilkextracellular vesiclestargeted therapyexosomesdrug delivery |
| spellingShingle | Chen Kong Long-bin Huang Mei-feng Yang Ning-ning Yue Yuan Zhang Cheng-mei Tian Yuan-hui Wang Dao-ru Wei Rui-yue Shi Yu-jie Liang Jun Yao Jun Yao Li-sheng Wang Li-sheng Wang De-feng Li De-feng Li Milk-derived extracellular vesicles: nature’s nanocarriers for drug delivery and therapeutics Frontiers in Pharmacology milk extracellular vesicles targeted therapy exosomes drug delivery |
| title | Milk-derived extracellular vesicles: nature’s nanocarriers for drug delivery and therapeutics |
| title_full | Milk-derived extracellular vesicles: nature’s nanocarriers for drug delivery and therapeutics |
| title_fullStr | Milk-derived extracellular vesicles: nature’s nanocarriers for drug delivery and therapeutics |
| title_full_unstemmed | Milk-derived extracellular vesicles: nature’s nanocarriers for drug delivery and therapeutics |
| title_short | Milk-derived extracellular vesicles: nature’s nanocarriers for drug delivery and therapeutics |
| title_sort | milk derived extracellular vesicles nature s nanocarriers for drug delivery and therapeutics |
| topic | milk extracellular vesicles targeted therapy exosomes drug delivery |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphar.2025.1595891/full |
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