Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41530294›Full record

ArticleNature biomedical engineering2026

Small intracellular vesicles outperform small extracellular vesicles in uptake, drug delivery and retinal neuroprotection.

Hui Zhang, Xinyue Yu, Fuhua Yang, Jinying An, Lin Su, Yuqing Liu, Mi Zhang, Ruiyan Fan, Hongli Yang, Xiaorong Li and 1 more

Abstract read
PubMed Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Nature biomedical engineering, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Review
  2. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

11 authors.

Hui ZhangTianjin Key Laboratory of Retinal Functions and Diseases, Tianjin Branch of National Clinical Research Center for Ocular Disease, Eye Institute and School of Optometry, Tianjin Medical University Eye Hospital, Tianjin, China.
Xinyue YuTianjin Key Laboratory of Retinal Functions and Diseases, Tianjin Branch of National Clinical Research Center for Ocular Disease, Eye Institute and School of Optometry, Tianjin Medical University Eye Hospital, Tianjin, China.
Fuhua YangTianjin Key Laboratory of Retinal Functions and Diseases, Tianjin Branch of National Clinical Research Center for Ocular Disease, Eye Institute and School of Optometry, Tianjin Medical University Eye Hospital, Tianjin, China.
Jinying AnTianjin Key Laboratory of Retinal Functions and Diseases, Tianjin Branch of National Clinical Research Center for Ocular Disease, Eye Institute and School of Optometry, Tianjin Medical University Eye Hospital, Tianjin, China.
Lin SuTianjin Key Laboratory of Retinal Functions and Diseases, Tianjin Branch of National Clinical Research Center for Ocular Disease, Eye Institute and School of Optometry, Tianjin Medical University Eye Hospital, Tianjin, China.
Yuqing LiuTianjin Key Laboratory of Retinal Functions and Diseases, Tianjin Branch of National Clinical Research Center for Ocular Disease, Eye Institute and School of Optometry, Tianjin Medical University Eye Hospital, Tianjin, China.
Mi ZhangTianjin Key Laboratory of Retinal Functions and Diseases, Tianjin Branch of National Clinical Research Center for Ocular Disease, Eye Institute and School of Optometry, Tianjin Medical University Eye Hospital, Tianjin, China.
Ruiyan FanTianjin Key Laboratory of Retinal Functions and Diseases, Tianjin Branch of National Clinical Research Center for Ocular Disease, Eye Institute and School of Optometry, Tianjin Medical University Eye Hospital, Tianjin, China.
Hongli YangTianjin Key Laboratory of Retinal Functions and Diseases, Tianjin Branch of National Clinical Research Center for Ocular Disease, Eye Institute and School of Optometry, Tianjin Medical University Eye Hospital, Tianjin, China.
Xiaorong LiTianjin Key Laboratory of Retinal Functions and Diseases, Tianjin Branch of National Clinical Research Center for Ocular Disease, Eye Institute and School of Optometry, Tianjin Medical University Eye Hospital, Tianjin, China. lixiaorong@tmu.edu.cn.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-0641-2797
Xiaomin ZhangTianjin Key Laboratory of Retinal Functions and Diseases, Tianjin Branch of National Clinical Research Center for Ocular Disease, Eye Institute and School of Optometry, Tianjin Medical University Eye Hospital, Tianjin, China. xzhang08@tmu.edu.cn.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-4898-4152

Funding

National Natural Science Foundation of China (National Science Foundation of China) 82171044National Natural Science Foundation of China (National Science Foundation of China) 82171085
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Small extracellular vesicles have been widely studied for their therapeutic properties and ability to deliver bioactive molecules. In addition to secretory vesicles, cells contain small intracellular vesicles involved in physiological and metabolic processes, whose therapeutic potential remains unexplored. Here we developed protocols to isolate small intracellular vesicles from multiple cell types and systematically compared their molecular and functional profiles to extracellular vesicles. Intracellular vesicles are smaller, yield higher quantities and demonstrate enhanced cellular uptake in both in vitro and in vivo models. Molecular profiling revealed that intracellular vesicles are enriched in proteins associated with the endoplasmic reticulum and Golgi apparatus, possess distinct microRNA signatures linked to intracellular membrane systems, and contain elevated levels of phospholipids such as phosphatidylcholine and phosphatidylethanolamine. Vesicles derived from umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells showed superior therapeutic efficacy in a model of retinal degeneration by reducing endoplasmic reticulum stress and delivering neuroprotective factors. In addition, intracellular vesicles exhibited enhanced drug-loading capacity and efficient delivery of lipophilic compounds to the retina. These findings position intracellular vesicles as promising candidates for therapeutic applications.

Identifiers

PMID41530294

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.