Milk-derived exosomes (MDEs) as emerging nanotherapeutics in regenerative medicine

Abstract

Milk-derived exosomes (MDEs) are naturally occurring nanoscale extracellular vesicles with unique biocompatibility, stability, and intrinsic capacity to carry diverse bioactive cargoes such as proteins, lipids, and nucleic acids. Recent studies have underscored their remarkable therapeutic promise across regenerative medicine, as well as in the treatment of bone and ocular diseases and in targeted drug delivery applications, primarily due to their capacity to traverse biological barriers, regulate inflammatory responses, and promote cellular repair and regeneration. Preclinical studies have demonstrated the efficacy of MDEs in models of myocardial ischemia–reperfusion injury, osteoporosis, corneal injury, dry eye disease, glaucoma, and retinoblastoma, with improved bioavailability and targeted delivery of therapeutic molecules. Despite these promising results, challenges including standardized isolation, scalable production, precise cargo loading, and comprehensive safety assessment must be addressed for clinical translation. Future research focusing on engineering tissue-specific, multifunctional, and stimuli-responsive MDEs holds the potential to revolutionize personalized nanotherapeutics, offering safe, efficient, and targeted strategies across a broad spectrum of diseases.