Extracellular Vesicles as Human Therapeutics: A Scoping Review of the Literature

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) have shown potential as therapeutics due to their ability to target specific cells and deliver functional molecules. This scoping review analyzed 40 human studies from an initial 13,567 records, revealing that these are mostly small pilot trials with significant variability in administration routes and target diseases. The lack of placebo controls, predominant local application, and inconsistent dosing metrics hinder comparisons and definitive conclusions on EV safety and efficacy. Despite these limitations, some promising outcomes suggest the need for well-designed larger studies to explore EVs as treatments for diseases with limited therapeutic options.