EXO./Abvox Therapeutics

On the 16th, Kim Ho-jun, a senior researcher at the Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST) Biomolecular Recognition Research Center, and Kim Hong-nam, the head researcher of the Brain Fusion Research Team, announced that they have developed a new drug loading technology that can quickly encapsulate large molecules in 'exosomes,' which are small vesicles released from cells simply by mixing.

EXOs are bio-derived particles responsible for intercellular signaling and are next-generation delivery vehicles used for transporting drugs to specific cells. However, EXOs have limitations due to their dense and tough membrane structure, which contains high amounts of cholesterol, making it difficult to package large molecular drugs like messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) or proteins inside. Previously, electric shock or chemical treatments were used to load drugs into EXOs, but these processes often damaged both the drugs and the EXOs, resulted in low delivery efficiency, and required complex purification processes, making commercialization challenging.

The research team developed a technology that allows large molecular drugs to be easily loaded into EXOs using lipid nanoparticles called 'cubosomes.' Exhibiting properties similar to cell membranes, cubosomes can naturally fuse with EXOs, enabling stable encapsulation of drugs of various sizes. The research team confirmed that mRNA was rapidly delivered into EXOs simply by leaving cubosomes carrying mRNA and EXOs together at room temperature for 10 minutes. Analysis showed that over 98% of the mRNA was encapsulated inside the EXOs while maintaining their structure and biological function.

The EXOs synthesized by the research team successfully passed through the blood-brain barrier, a tissue in the human body that is difficult for drug delivery, while preserving the unique functions of the EXOs. Notably, a 'homing' characteristic was observed, allowing the EXOs to return to the cells from which they originated, demonstrating the ability to deliver drugs precisely to lesion sites. This technology opens up possibilities for efficiently loading large molecular drugs into EXOs without altering them, enabling potential applications in precision medicine with EXO-based therapeutics.

This technology can easily be utilized in actual clinical settings with simple processes, without requiring complex equipment or treatment. It is expected to be widely applicable in the development of precision therapeutics for various intractable diseases, such as brain disorders, cancer, and autoimmune diseases, by reliably delivering large molecular drugs while maintaining the biological functions of EXOs. The research team plans to continue securing a large-scale production system for cubosomes and conduct additional safety evaluations for actual patient applications.

Kim Ho-jun, the senior researcher at KIST, noted, 'This technology allows for the easy combination of EXOs and drugs to be used as therapeutics in medical settings, which has significant implications for realizing patient-specific treatments.' Additionally, Kim Hong-nam, the head researcher, stated, 'It is possible to deliver drugs accurately even in complex tissues like the brain, which can be utilized in the treatment of various diseases.'

The research results were published in the international academic journal 'Nature Communications' in May.

References

Nature communications (2025), DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-59489-5