Exosomes or small bubbles that transport molecules from one cell to another can be effective vehicles for delivering cancer treatments to tumours, according to a recent study.

In the study, researchers used exosomes produced by cells called adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (ADSCs) to deliver an RNA-based anti-cancer treatment (miR-138-5p) to bladder cancer tumours in mice.

"The present results reveal that ADSC-derived exosomes are an effective delivery vehicle for small molecule drugs in vivo, and exosome-delivered miR-138-5p is a promising therapeutic agent for bladder cancer treatment," the authors wrote.