Co-delivery of temozolomide and quercetin using folic acid- conjugated engineered exosomes for glioblastoma treatment: the in-vitro and in-vivo study

Abstract

Abstract Glioblastoma Multiforme (GBM) stands as the most prevalent life-threatening nervous system tumor, lacking a definitive and efficacious treatment. Chemotherapeutic agents, along with other treatment modalities, continue to be employed as routine complementary therapies for GBM. Notably, researchers have increasingly adopted the utilization of conjugated exosomes loaded with specific drugs as a promising drug delivery technique for various ailments, including GBM. The present study aims to investigate the effects of folic acid (FA) conjugated exosomes loaded with temozolomide (TMZ) and quercetin (Qct) on GBM, both in vitro and in vivo. Our findings demonstrated that the co-delivery of TMZ and Qct within conjugated exosomes elicited a marked and effective induction of apoptosis within GBM cells. Furthermore, the putative pathways underlying this effect were corroborated, further affirming our results. The present study underscores the potential of utilizing drug-loaded exosomes as a promising therapeutic strategy for GBM.