Evidence mapPaperPMID 41939725Full record

ReviewBioactive materials2026

Engineered small extracellular vesicles as bioactive materials: Integrating engineering strategies for cargo loading and targeted delivery systems.

Hongtao Xu, Rui Liu, Hao Zhou, Bin Kong, Kai Shen, Tao Zhao, Xiaofeng Du, Hao Zhang, Huanghe Song, Dunming Guo and 6 more

Abstract readReview
In one paragraph

Review in Bioactive materials, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
6citing papers in PubMed
field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

6 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Review
  2. Review
  3. Article
  4. Review
  5. Review
  6. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

16 authors.

Hongtao XuDepartment of Orthopedics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210029, China.
Rui LiuDepartment of Rheumatology and Immunology, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, Medical School, Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210002, China.
Hao ZhouDepartment of Orthopedics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210029, China.
Bin KongDepartment of Biomedical Engineering, School of Medicine, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, Guangdong, 518000, China.
Kai ShenDepartment of Orthopedics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210029, China.
Tao ZhaoDepartment of Central Laboratory, Shandong Provincial Key Medical and Health Laboratory of Perioperative Precise Anesthesia and Organ Protection Mechanism Research, Rizhao Key Laboratory of Basic Research on Anesthesia and Respiratory Intensive Care, The People's Hospital of Rizhao, Rizhao, Shandong, 276826, China.
Xiaofeng DuDepartment of Orthopedic Surgery, Hebei Medical University Third Hospital, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, 050000, China.
Hao ZhangDepartment of Critical Care Medicine, Jinling Hospital, Medical School of Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210002, China.
Huanghe SongDepartment of Orthopedics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210029, China.
Dunming GuoDepartment of Orthopedics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210029, China.
Xiaoyuan GuDepartment of Orthopedics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210029, China.
Qing WangDepartment of Orthopedics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210029, China.
Chien-Wei LeeTranslational Cell Therapy Center, China Medical University Hospital, Taichung, 404327, Taiwan.
Guoyong YinDepartment of Orthopedics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210029, China.
Yingze ZhangDepartment of Orthopedic Surgery, Hebei Medical University Third Hospital, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, 050000, China.
Wei ChenDepartment of Orthopedic Surgery, Hebei Medical University Third Hospital, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, 050000, China.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Small extracellular vesicles (sEVs) are increasingly regarded as a unique class of bioactive materials whose intrinsic membrane composition and nanoscale architecture provide a versatile platform for therapeutic engineering. Rather than passive carriers, sEVs can be actively programmed through diverse strategies to achieve efficient loading, precise targeting, and functional integration with synthetic systems. Endogenous modulation of donor cells-via genetic editing, priming with bioactive glass, cytokine stimulation, or hypoxic cues-enables selective packaging of nucleic acids, proteins, and metabolites into secreted vesicles. Exogenous techniques, including electroporation, sonication, and extrusion, allow controlled incorporation of therapeutic drugs or genome-editing complexes such as CRISPR/Cas. In parallel, surface modifications based on Lamp2b-fusion scaffolds, aptamers, antibodies, and click chemistry confer tissue tropism and extend circulation time. Integration with nanomaterials, scaffolds, and microfluidic platforms further enhances stability, scalability, and reproducibility, positioning sEVs at the intersection of biology and materials science. This review highlights recent advances in engineering sEVs as programmable bioactive materials and discusses their potential to transform regenerative medicine, oncology, and precision therapeutics.

Indexed as

Cargo loadingExtracellular vesiclesTargeted deliveryTherapeutic application

Identifiers

PMID41939725
PMCPMC13045864

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.