Exosome engineering and molecular tools for targeted therapy of brain-infecting pathogens: delivery systems, signaling pathways, and therapeutic applications
6 affiliations
- 1Department of Pharmaceutics and Pharmaceutical Technology, Kampala International University, Western Campus, P.O. Box 71, Ishaka-Bushenyi, Uganda
- 2Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Health Sciences, Victoria University, Victoria Towers, 1–13 Jinja Road, Kampala, Uganda
- 3School of Pharmacy, Lingaya’s Vidyapeeth, Faridabad Haryana, 121002 India
- 4Faculty of Pharmaceutical Science, Assam down town University (AdtU), Guwahati, Assam India
- 5Department of Pharmacy, School of Medical and Allied Sciences, Galgotias University, Greater Noida, 203201 Uttar Pradesh India
- 6Department of Pharmaceutics, Aligarh College of Pharmacy, Aligarh, 202001 Uttar Pradesh India
Abstract
Brain infections, caused by various pathogens (such as viruses, bacteria, fungi, or parasites), have proven challenging to treat due to limited drug diffusion through the blood–brain barrier and the presence of intracellular reservoirs. As biologically derived nanocarriers, exosomes have emerged as viable candidates for crossing physiological barriers and effectively delivering target molecules into the central nervous system. This review aims to summarize what is currently known about exosome biogenesis, cargo sorting, and immunological function in relation to infectious disease. In addition, it provides information on how different pathogens have taken advantage of exosomal pathways to increase their virulence and modulate the immune response, while also suggesting options for the therapeutic engineering of exosomes. It critically evaluates technological advances made in exosome engineering, such as CRISPR/Cas9-based cargo loading, ligand-directed surface modification of exosomes, targeted delivery of nucleic acids, and creation of stimuli-responsive release systems for exosome cargo for their potential application as precision therapies against pathogens that infect the brain. Pharmacokinetic data and biodistribution studies, along with studies examining how route of administration, inflammatory status, and receptor mediated uptake affect CNS targeting efficacy reflect that exosome engineering offers a novel platform for creating precision therapeutics against pathogens that infect the brain.
Graphical abstract:
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BibTeX
@article{bukke2026exosome,
title = {{Exosome engineering and molecular tools for targeted therapy of brain-infecting pathogens: delivery systems, signaling pathways, and therapeutic applications}},
author = {Sarad Pawar Naik Bukke and Shatrudhan Prajapati and Chandrashekar Thalluri and Shikha Yadav and Ajay Pal Singh and Neha Gupta},
journal = {Journal of Nanobiotechnology},
year = {2026},
month = jun,
doi = {10.1186/s12951-026-04683-w},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1186/s12951-026-04683-w},
note = {CC BY-NC-ND 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Exosome engineering and molecular tools for targeted therapy of brain-infecting pathogens: delivery systems, signaling pathways, and therapeutic applications
AU - Sarad Pawar Naik Bukke
AU - Shatrudhan Prajapati
AU - Chandrashekar Thalluri
AU - Shikha Yadav
AU - Ajay Pal Singh
AU - Neha Gupta
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/06/17
JO - Journal of Nanobiotechnology
DO - 10.1186/s12951-026-04683-w
UR - https://doi.org/10.1186/s12951-026-04683-w
AB - Brain infections, caused by various pathogens (such as viruses, bacteria, fungi, or parasites), have proven challenging to treat due to limited drug diffusion through the blood–brain barrier and the presence of intracellular reservoirs. As biologically derived nanocarriers, exosomes have emerged as viable candidates for crossing physiological barriers and effectively delivering target molecules into the central nervous system. This review aims to summarize what is currently known about exosome biogenesis, cargo sorting, and immunological function in relation to infectious disease. In addition, it provides information on how different pathogens have taken advantage of exosomal pathways to increase their virulence and modulate the immune response, while also suggesting options for the therapeutic engineering of exosomes. It critically evaluates technological advances made in exosome engineering, such as CRISPR/Cas9-based cargo loading, ligand-directed surface modification of exosomes, targeted delivery of nucleic acids, and creation of stimuli-responsive release systems for exosome cargo for their potential application as precision therapies against pathogens that infect the brain. Pharmacokinetic data and biodistribution studies, along with studies examining how route of administration, inflammatory status, and receptor mediated uptake affect CNS targeting efficacy reflect that exosome engineering offers a novel platform for creating precision therapeutics against pathogens that infect the brain. Graphical abstract:
SN - 1477-3155
ER -