Biopolymers in Pharmacy Applications

Dear Colleagues,

Extracellular vesicles represent a heterogeneous population of nano- to micro-sized spherical lipid-bilayered particles released from the endosomal compartments or shed from the animal and vegetable cell surface, including exosomes (diameters of 40–120 nm), microvesicles (50–1000 nm), and apoptotic bodies (500–2000 nm). The impact of these vesicles on recipient biomaterial has been abundantly studied and still represents an important issue in the research world. Indeed, their use is part of interesting challenges for the development of new drug carriers in the broad field of therapy investigation. Additionally, they could also constitute a target or even a diagnostic/prognostic tool in biophysical or biochemical assays. Moreover, to make use of extracellular vesicles in these ways, specific methods of purification, quantification, and then utilization have to be accurately established. In support of these methods, polymeric matrixes could represent an appealing instrument. Different polymeric biomaterial-based approaches are used today by research groups that study or simply exploit vesicles. Appealing examples derive from the development of purification methods through polymer-based precipitation. Furthermore, the measurement of the meshes of natural or artificial hydrogels (or other kinds of polymers) are commonly used to carry out a size-based isolation of the extracellular vesicles or to guarantee their time- and dose-controlled release. Several in vitro and in vivo assays are performed using these kinds of polymeric matrixes, and other experiments have to be carried out in the field of pharmacy application.

Thus, this Special Issue is devoted to the most recent research on the topics described above. Many aspects could be broadly covered on the applications that polymers can have for extracellular vesicle use, isolation, characterization, release, etc.

Dr. Raffaella Belvedere
Guest Editor

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• Polymeric matrix 
• Extracellular vesicle purification 
• Extracellular vesicle release 
• Biomaterial for nanocarriers 
• Extracellular vesicles in therapy 
• Polymers in extracellular vesicle handling