Artificial exosome composition and related methods

A method of isolating artificial exosomes comprising an exogenously-derived cargo from a sample comprising a population of exosomes, wherein the method comprises incubating the sample with a binding agent that binds to a protein comprising one or more of rab7, desmoplakin, and alpha 2-HS glycoprotein (AHSG), and a cardiolipin or a variant thereof;

• wherein each protein further comprises a lipid anchor;
• wherein the binding agent binds to the one or more proteins of the artificial exosome and thereby isolates the sample, and wherein the artificial exosome is loaded with exogenously-derived, heterologous cargo selected from the group consisting of a peptide, a polypeptide, a nucleic acid, a virus, a small molecule, a fluorophore, and a combination thereof.

A method of producing an artificial exosome comprising an exogenously-derived cargo comprising proteins comprising rab7, desmoplakin, and alpha 2-HS glycoprotein (AHSG), and a cardiolipin or variants thereof comprising the steps of:

• a) mixing DOPC, cholesterol, and a cardiolipin or a variant thereof to form a cardiolipin-containing liposome;
• and
• b) incubating the cardiolipin-containing liposome with rab7, desmoplakin, and AHSG to form an artificial exosome.

A method of delivering a cargo molecule to a neuronal cell, comprising contacting the neuronal cell with an artificial exosome containing the cargo molecule, wherein the artificial exosome comprises one or more proteins comprising rab7, desmoplakin, AHSG, and a cardiolipin or variant thereof;

• wherein each protein further comprises a lipid anchor;
• and wherein the cargo molecule is delivered to the neuronal cell.