Convalescent serum-derived exosomes: Attractive niche as COVID-19 diagnostic tool and vehicle for mRNA delivery

• Published in: Experimental Biology and Medicine Vol. 247; no. 14; pp. 1244 - 1252
• Main Authors: Krishnan, Anand, Gangadaran, Prakash, Chavda, Vivek P, Jogalekar, Manasi P, Muthusamy, Ramesh, Valu, Disha, Vadivalagan, Chithravel, Ramani, Prasanna, Laishevtcev, Alexey, Katari, Naresh Kumar, Ahn, Byeong-Cheol
• Format: Book Review Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London, England SAGE Publications 01.07.2022
• Subjects: Antibodies, Viral; COVID-19 - diagnosis; COVID-19 - therapy; COVID-19 Serotherapy; COVID-19 Testing; Exosomes; Humans; Immunization, Passive; Minireview; Reproducibility of Results; RNA, Messenger - genetics; SARS-CoV-2; COVID-19; SARS-CoV-2; mRNA; exosomes; diagnostic tool; Convalescent serum
• ISSN: 1535-3702; 1535-3699; 1535-3699
• DOI: 10.1177/15353702221092984

The spread of SARS-CoV-2 over the entire world is more commonly known as COVID-19. COVID-19 has impacted society in every aspect of routine life. SARS-CoV-2 infection is often misdiagnosed as influenza or seasonal upper respiratory tract viral infections. General diagnostic tools can detect the viral antigen or isotypes of antibodies. However, inter- and intraindividual variations in antibody levels can cause false negatives in antibody immunoassays. On the contrary, the false-positive test results can also occur due to either cross-reactivity of the viral antigens or some other patient-related autoimmune factors. There is need for a cogent diagnostic tool with more specificity, selectivity, and reliability. Here, we have described the potential of convalescent serum-derived exosome as a diagnostic tool for the detection of SARS-CoV-2, even in asymptomatic patients, which is a limitation for currently practiced diagnostic tests throughout the globe. In addition, its potential as a vehicle for messenger RNA (mRNA) delivery is also emphasized.