Extracellular Vesicles (EVs), including exosomes, are emerging as promising natural nano-scale platforms for delivering nucleic acids, proteins, and small molecules due to their immune silencing properties. However, precision EV engineering has been challenging to date. Such technologies have also been largely inaccessible for a broader community due to technical complexities. Here, we discuss materials and methods to express biomolecules on EVs.
Protein scaffolds, including Prostaglandin F2 receptor negative regulator (PTGFRN) and Brain acid soluble protein 1 (BASP1) were developed and clinically proven to effectively load therapeutic proteins on the surface or lumen of EVs. Chemical linkers were developed to link nucleic acids or small molecules to the EV membrane while preserving their bioactivity and potency. Technologies described here will be available to Pharma, Biotech and Academic communities under a Research License for broader access. They will also be available via contract development and manufacturing services for producing engineered EVs.