약물 및 유전자 전달을 위한 천연 나노운반체로서의 유즙 유래 세포외 소포체

초록

Milk-derived extracellular vesicles (mEVs) have emerged as a naturally occurring nanoscale carriers with biological stability, biocompatibility, and physiological accessibility. Originally identified in human breast milk and later characterized in bovine milk, mEVs encapsulate proteins, lipids, and nucleic acids that remain protected against gastric acidity and enzymatic degradation, enabling functional delivery of bioactive cargo. Recent studies demonstrate that mEVs cross epithelial, placental, and even blood-brain barriers, contributing to immune modulation, epithelial regeneration, and host-microbiome homeostasis. In parallel, advances in isolation and purification technologies have improved the purity and scalability of mEV preparations and have begun to address major limitations for clinical translation. These biological and technological features support the rapid expansion of mEV-based therapeutic strategies, including oral and systemic delivery of small-molecule drugs, natural compounds, and nucleic acid therapeutics such as siRNA and miRNA. While challenges remain in standardizing production, achieving precise cargo loading, and establishing regulatory frameworks, mEVs represent a highly promising platform at the interface of nanomedicine, nutrition, and regenerative biology. This review summarizes current knowledge on mEV biology, isolation and characterization methodologies, and emerging therapeutic applications, and discusses future directions for their development as next-generation drug and gene delivery platforms.

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