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Breakthrough Eye Drops Use Engineered Exosomes to Combat Retinal Tumors

3/29/2026

Summary

Story summary

Scientists developed eye drops using pig semen, led by Yu Zhang of Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, that use engineered exosomes to treat retinal tumors and preserve vision, published in Science Advances.
The exosomes penetrate the retina's barrier and target cancer cells by attaching to folic acid molecules.
In mice with retinoblastoma, the drops halted tumor growth while preserving eyesight.
Mice treated with non-exosome components showed tumor growth, highlighting the delivery method's importance.

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Story summary

Scientists developed eye drops using pig semen, led by Yu Zhang of Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, that use engineered exosomes to treat retinal tumors and preserve vision, published in Science Advances.
The exosomes penetrate the retina's barrier and target cancer cells by attaching to folic acid molecules.
In mice with retinoblastoma, the drops halted tumor growth while preserving eyesight.
Mice treated with non-exosome components showed tumor growth, highlighting the delivery method's importance.