Plant-Derived Extracellular Vesicles (PDEVs) for Therapeutics’ Vectors

This technology applies to the isolation, purification, and recovery of extracellular vesicles from plant materials, referred to as plant-derived extracellular vesicles.  The exosome population of the PDEVs are employed for use as vectors for the delivery of therapeutics. Exosome vectors are a promising means for the treatment of many diseases, many of which are currently in clinical trials. Roots Analysis expects the current exosome therapeutics market to grow at a projected CAGR of more than 30% by 2035. Much of extracellular vesicles (EV) research remains restricted to human biofluid samples and cell culture media. Current exosome isolation methods can be too time-consuming, ineffective, and risk damage to the exosomes. The development of EV vector technologies from alternative, natural sources as therapeutic delivery vectors would provide a low-cost, sustainable approach for therapeutic applications. To date, the methods employed for biofluid isolation are very much challenged regarding yields and purities. To address these issues, Clemson University researchers have developed a novel isolation method to harvest PDEVs for therapeutic delivery applications. This technology has the potential to transform the breadth of sources of exosomes into more sustainable and lower-cost matrices.