Platelet-derived extracellular vesicle (PEV)

Platelet-derived extracellular vesicles (PEVs) are small membrane-bound particles released from platelets during activation or apoptosis. They carry a diverse array of bioactive molecules, including proteins, lipids, and nucleic acids reflective of their platelet origin. PEVs play significant roles in physiological processes such as hemostasis and thrombosis, as well as pathological conditions like inflammation, angiogenesis, cancer progression, and cardiovascular disease. Recently, PEVs have been explored as natural nanocarriers for drug delivery due to their biocompatibility, ability to target inflamed or diseased tissues both passively and actively, ease of procurement from clinical-grade platelet concentrates, nanoscale size (~160 nm), lipid bilayer structure facilitating cellular uptake by endocytosis, and capacity to enhance the bioavailability of therapeutic agents loaded within them. For example, kaempferol-loaded PEVs have demonstrated efficacy in inhibiting corneal neovascularization by delivering antiangiogenic drugs directly to affected tissues. However, "drug delivery via platelet-derived extracellular vesicles" is not itself a molecular target but rather describes a therapeutic strategy using these vesicles as vehicles; thus it is not considered a canonical therapeutic target such as an enzyme or receptor.

Other names

Platelet-derived EVPlatelet microvesiclePlatelet exosome (less common)

Drug delivery vehicle via endocytosis and targeted tissue accumulation