Fluorescent Chiral Quantum Dots to Unveil Origin-Dependent Exosome Uptake and Cargo Release.

ABSTRACT: Exosomes are promising nanocarriers for drug delivery. Yet, it is challenging to apply exosomes in clinical use due to the limited understanding of their physiological functions. While cellular uptake of exosomes is generally known through endocytosis and/or membrane fusion, the mechanisms of origin-dependent cellular uptake and subsequent cargo release of exosomes into recipient cells are still unclear. Herein, we investigated the intricate mechanisms of exosome entry into recipient cells and intracellular cargo release. In this study, we utilized chiral graphene quantum dots (GQDs) as representatives of exosomal cargo, taking advantage of the superior permeability of chiral GQDs into lipid membranes as well as their excellent optical properties for tracking analysis. We observed that the

SUBMITTER: Kim G 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11393810 | biostudies-literature | 2024 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature