Exosomes as therapeutic drug carriers and delivery vehicles across biological membranes: current perspectives and future challenges

Exosomes are small intracellular membrane-based vesicles with different compositions that are involved in several biological and pathological processes. The exploitation of exosomes as drug delivery vehicles offers important advantages compared to other nanoparticulate drug delivery systems such as liposomes and polymeric nanoparticles; exosomes are non-immunogenic in nature due to similar composition as body׳s own cells. In this article, the origin and structure of exosomes as well as their biological functions are outlined. We will then focus on specific applications of exosomes as drug delivery systems in pharmaceutical drug development. An overview of the advantages and challenges faced when using exosomes as a pharmaceutical drug delivery vehicles will also be discussed.

Protective effect of Cordyceps Sinensis, Epimedium and Astragalus Membranaccus on gentamycin induced nephrotoxicity in rat / 中国病理生理杂志

Animal model of aged rat nephrotoxicity was induced by i. p. administrationof gentamycin in a dose of 140mg/kg/day. Part of those rats were treated with CordycepsSinensis(CS), Epimedium(Ep) and Astragalus Membranaccus (AM) in form of decoc-tion per Os and others seryed as control. The results were summarized as. 1. The nephro-toxicity of gentamycin was aggrevated with age. CS, Ep and AM are effective drugs inpreventing the tdeular damage caused by gentamycin in rats. The pathological changes ofrenal tuoules of the rat groups which treated with CS, Ep and AM were less severe thanthat of the control. 2. CS, Ep and AM could prevent the decline of renal cortical Na~+-K~+-ATPase activity of aged rat induced by gentamycin.