Exosomes Next-Generation Approaches in Breast Cancer: Nano Drug Delivery to AI-Based Prediction
Exosome mimetic nanocarriers have risen as a progressive biomimetic approach for intracellular drug delivery, exploiting the unique properties of natural exosomes to enhance therapeutic precision and efficacy. These synthetic vesicles imitate the structural, biochemical, and functional characteristics of natural exosomes, including lipid bilayer composition, surface proteins, and molecular cargo, offering superior biocompatibility, immune evasion, and targeted delivery capabilities. Unlike traditional nanocarriers, exosome mimetics exploit receptor-mediated endocytosis and natural cellular communication pathways to facilitate efficient intracellular transport and controlled release of therapeutic payloads such as chemotherapeutic agents, nucleic acids(siRNA, miRNA, mRNA) and proteins. Engineering strategies combine advanced liposome technologies with exosomal components to overcome challenges of yield, scalability, and immunogenicity, enabling customizable and reproducible drug carriers. This chapter comprehensively reviews the design principles, fabrication methods, and functionalization techniques of exosome-mimetic nanocarriers, emphasizing their advantages in precision oncology. Mechanistic insights into cellular uptake, endosomal escape, and tumor targeting are comprehensive alongside preclinical studies demonstrating enhanced antitumor efficacy and safety profiles. Furthermore, the chapter discusses translational hurdles, including standardization, large-scale production, and regulatory considerations. Integration with emerging artificial intelligence tools and multiomics theranostics presents future opportunities for optimizing nanocarrier design, patient stratification, and treatment monitoring. Overall, exosome-mimetic nanocarriers represent a transformative strategy in nanomedicine, poised to revolutionize intracellular drug delivery and enable precision personalized therapy in breast cancer and beyond. Keywords: Exosome, breast cancer, exosome-biomimetic nanocarriers, intracellular drug delivery, cargo loading, targeted therapy.