Vesicle-mediated transport

Vesicle-mediated transport is a fundamental cellular process involving the internalization of extracellular materials through the formation of membrane-bound vesicles, such as endosomes (Alberts et al., 2002, Molecular Biology of the Cell). In the pharmaceutical industry, this term often serves as a functional classification for drugs—including enzyme replacement therapies and siRNA-loaded nanoparticles—that do not interact with a single defined receptor but instead require cellular uptake to reach multiple or complex intracellular pathways. Once internalized, these agents are typically trafficked to the lysosome to address metabolic deficiencies or must achieve endosomal escape to reach the cytosol or nucleus. This mechanism is critical for the delivery of large biologics that cannot passively cross the plasma membrane (Sahay et al., 2010, Nature Biotechnology). Because it represents a broad physiological pathway rather than a specific protein or nucleic acid, it is generally categorized as a mechanism of uptake rather than a discrete molecular target.

Other names

EndocytosisVesicular uptakeCellular uptake via vesiclesMultiple cellular pathways via vesicle uptake

Therapeutic agents are internalized via endocytic pathways, such as clathrin-mediated endocytosis or macropinocytosis, into vesicles that transport the cargo to specific intracellular compartments like lysosomes or the cytosol (Sahay et al., 2010, Nature Biotechnology).