Abstract
Abstract: Radiation therapy is an important treatment for malignant tumors. Although it can effectively kill tumor cells, it also causes ionizing radiation (IR) damage to normal tissues, resulting in a variety of acute and chronic adverse reactions. Currently, there are significant limitations in the efficacy, targeting, and safety of clinically available radioprotective drugs, and there is an urgent need for the development of new, more efficient and safer protection strategies. Extracellular vesicles (EVs), as natural nanocarriers, are capable of delivering functional molecules and participating in various processes, such as DNA repair, alleviation of oxidative stress, modulation of apoptosis, and immune microenvironment, which have demonstrated a wide range of potentials for the alleviation of IR-associated tissue damage. Numerous studies have shown that mesenchymal stem cell-derived EVs (MSC-EVs), immune cell-derived EVs, and engineered EVs are effective in attenuating IR-induced tissue damage in various animal models. In this paper, we systematically reviewed the multiple mechanisms of EVs-mediated radioprotection, sorted out their main sources and biological properties, and focused on the optimization strategy of their engineering and the challenges of their clinical applications, with the aim of providing a theoretical basis and research references for the development and translation of EVs as a novel means of radioprotection.
Key words: extracellular vesicles; radioprotection; MSC-EVs; DNA repair; oxidative stress
（Acta Laser Biology Sinica, 2026, 35(1): 001-009）
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LIU Xuan, GUAN Chengnong.
Mechanism of Action and Research Progress of Extracellular Vesicles in Radiation Protection[J]. Acta Laser Biology Sinica. 2026, 35(1): 1-9
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