Nanomedicines In Oral Cancer: Inspiration Comes from Extracellular Vesicles and Biomimetic Nanoparticles

Abstract

Oral cancer is a common life-threatening malignancy having high mortality and morbidity rates. During the treatment process, individuals unavoidably experience severe side effects. It is essential to develop safer and more effective strategies. Currently, extracellular vesicles (EVs) and biomimetic nanoparticles are nanomedicines with long-term blood circulation and lower off-target toxicity that orchestrate immune responses and accumulate specifically in tumor sites. EVs create a synergetic effect by encapsulating drugs and collaborating with naturally loaded elements in the EVs. Biomimetic nanoparticles retain the characteristic features of the synthetic nanocarriers and inherit the intrinsic cell membrane functionalities. This review outlines the properties, applications, challenges, pros and cons of EVs and biomimetic nanoparticles, providing novel perspectives on oral cancer.

Plain language summary

This review explains how extracellular vesicles (EVs) and biomimetic nanoparticles are emerging as nanomedicines applied in oral cancer. EVs are phospholipid bilayer vesicles, mainly including exosomes and microvesicles, responsible for intercellular communication and cargo transport. EVs can carry RNA, metabolites and other molecular payloads. Biomimetic nanomedicines are synthetic nanoparticles coated with the parent or host cell membrane to escape the immune system and elevate targeting ability. Various cell membranes have been used for camouflaging nanoparticles, such as red blood cells, white blood cells, platelets, mesenchymal stem cells and cancer cell membranes. During the treatment process, individuals unavoidably experience severe side effects. It is essential to develop safer and more effective strategies. Currently, EVs and biomimetic nanoparticles are nanomedicines with long-term blood circulation and lower off-target toxicity that orchestrate immune responses and accumulate specifically in tumor sites. EVs create a synergetic effect by encapsulating drugs and collaborating with naturally loaded elements in the EVs. Biomimetic nanoparticles retain the characteristic features of the synthetic nanocarriers and inherit the intrinsic cell membrane functionalities. This review outlines the properties, applications, challenges, pros and cons of EVs and biomimetic nanoparticles, providing novel perspectives on oral cancer.

Graphical abstract

Outlines of extracellular vesicles and biomimetic nanomedicines in oral cancer.

Keywords::

• biomimetic nanoparticles
• cell membrane-based nanoparticles
• extracellular vesicles
• nanomedicine
• oral cancer

Supplementary data

To view the supplementary data that accompany this paper please visit the journal website at: www.tandfonline.com/doi/suppl/10.2217/nnm-2022-0142

Author contributions

YT Bai designed the experiment and drafted the manuscript. XJ Chen and G Zhou helped with manuscript editing. XJ Chen, XQ Zhang and G Zhou reviewed the manuscript drafts. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

Financial & competing interests disclosure

This work was supported by grants from the National Natural Science Foundation (no. 82101023) to XJ Chen and the National Natural Science Foundation of China (no. 81970949 and 82270983) to G Zhou. The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.

Writing disclosure

Medical writing support was provided by MogoEdit.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by grants from the National Natural Science Foundation (no. 82101023) to XJ Chen and the National Natural Science Foundation of China (no. 81970949 and 82270983) to G Zhou. The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.