Techniques regarding the transportation and/or delivery of molecular cargo by exosomes are provided. For example, one or more embodiments described herein can comprise a molecule, which can comprise a chemically modified molecular cargo bonded to a surface biomolecule of an exosome. The surface biomolecule can be located on a bilayer membrane of the exosome opposite a cytoplasm of the exosome.

The present invention relates to a method for the mass-production of exosome comprising a cargo protein, a vector for preparing the exosome, exosome including a cargo protein prepared by the method, and a method for loading the cargo protein to cytosol by using the exosome prepared thereby. According to the method for preparing an exosome comprising a cargo protein provided by the present invention, the exosome loaded with a cargo protein can be produced with a high yield, so that it can be used broadly in the treatment of disease using the exosome.

The present invention relates to a method for the mass-production of exosome comprising a cargo protein, a vector for preparing the exosome, exosome including a cargo protein prepared by the method, and a method for loading the cargo protein to cytosol by using the exosome prepared thereby. According to the method for preparing an exosome comprising a cargo protein provided by the present invention, the exosome loaded with a cargo protein can be produced with a high yield, so that it can be used broadly in the treatment of disease using the exosome.

Articles, compositions, kits, and methods relating to nanostructures, including synthetic nanostructures, are provided. Certain embodiments described herein include structures having a core-shell type arrangement; for instance, a nanostructure core may be surrounded by a shell including a material, such as a lipid bilayer, and may include other components such as oligonucleotides. In some embodiments, the structures, when introduced into a subject, can be used to deliver nucleic acids and/or can regulate gene expression. Accordingly, the structures described herein may be used to diagnose, prevent, treat or manage certain diseases or bodily conditions. In some cases, the structures are both a therapeutic agent and a diagnostic agent.

The present invention provides high density lipoprotein (HDL) or reconstituted HDL (rHDL) particles for the delivery of non-nucleic acid therapeutic agents, therapeutic agents or nucleic acids to cells and tissues. The use of HDL or rHDL particles has advantages over other delivery systems because they are smaller in size and their contents are rapidly internalized by receptors of specific cells, including receptors on the surface of tumor tissue. The HDL or rHDL nanoparticles of the present invention may include a positively charged polyamino acid, which neutralizes the negatively charged nucleic acid, thus allowing for successful incorporation of the nucleic acid into an HDL or rHDL particle. Methods of delivering therapeutic agents to cells and target tissues using the disclosed HDL or rHDL particles are provided as are methods of treating various diseases and disorders.

A new approach to targeting imaging agents to macrophage-rich sites of interest is disclosed. Compositions of the invention are rHDL and HDL-like liposomal compositions, protein constituents of which, apolipoproteins A-I and/or A-II or fragments thereof are used not only as structural but also as targeting agents. This is achieved by certain controlled chemical or enzymatic modification of apolipoproteins A-I or A-II or fragments thereof. Such modification converts these apolipoproteins to substrates for macrophage scavenger receptors and results in the improvement of contrast agent-(HDL/modified apolipoprotein)-particle association with macrophages and/or absorption (uptake) by macrophages when compared to that of the contrast agent-(HDL/apolipoprotein)-particle constructed with non-modified naturally occurring apo A-I. The compositions can be used for noninvasive specific in vivo molecular detection and localization of macrophage-rich sites of interest using imaging techniques such as computed tomography (CT), gamma-scintigraphy, positron emission tomography (PET), single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

Nanostructures having a core, a lipid layer and a lipoprotein which are useful for delivering therapeutic agents are provided herein. Methods of treating disease using the nanostructures are also provided, including methods of treating cancer, infectious disease, vascular disease etc.

The present invention relates to methods of preparing a therapeutic exosome using a protein newly-identified to be enriched on the surface of exosomes. Specifically, the present invention provides methods of using the proteins for affinity purification of exosomes. It also provides methods of localizing a therapeutic peptide on exosomes, and targeting exosomes to a specific organ, tissue or cell by using the proteins. The methods involve generation of surface-engineered exosomes that include one or more of the exosome proteins at higher density, or a variant or a fragment of the exosome protein.

A new approach to targeting imaging agents to macrophage-rich sites of interest is disclosed. Compositions of the invention are rHDL and HDL-like liposomal compositions, protein constituents of which, apolipoproteins A-I and/or A-II or fragments thereof are used not only as structural but also as targeting agents. This is achieved by certain controlled chemical or enzymatic modification of apolipoproteins A-I or A-II or fragments thereof. Such modification converts these apolipoproteins to substrates for macrophage scavenger receptors and results in the improvement of contrast agent-(HDL/modified apolipoprotein)-particle association with macrophages and/or absorption (uptake) by macrophages when compared to that of the contrast agent-(HDL/apolipoprotein)-particle constructed with non-modified naturally occurring apo A-I. The compositions can be used for noninvasive specific in vivo molecular detection and localization of macrophage-rich sites of interest using imaging techniques such as computed tomography (CT), gamma-scintigraphy, positron emission tomography (PET), single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

The invention in aspects relates to methods of treating sepsis using HDL-NP. The methods include the use of nanoparticles having a core and a lipid based shell with optimal lipids therein.