scholarly journals Biology, Pathophysiological Role, and Clinical Implications of Exosomes: A Critical Appraisal

Cells ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 99 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arif Jan ◽  
Safikur Rahman ◽  
Shahanavaj Khan ◽  
Sheikh Tasduq ◽  
Inho Choi

Exosomes are membrane-enclosed entities of endocytic origin, which are generated during the fusion of multivesicular bodies (MVBs) and plasma membranes. Exosomes are released into the extracellular milieu or body fluids; this process was reported for mesenchymal, epithelial, endothelial, and different immune cells (B-cells and dendritic cells), and was reported to be correlated with normal physiological processes. The compositions and abundances of exosomes depend on their tissue origins and cell types. Exosomes range in size between 30 and 100 nm, and shuttle nucleic acids (DNA, messenger RNAs (mRNAs), microRNAs), proteins, and lipids between donor and target cells. Pathogenic microorganisms also secrete exosomes that modulate the host immune system and influence the fate of infections. Such immune-modulatory effect of exosomes can serve as a diagnostic biomarker of disease. On the other hand, the antigen-presenting and immune-stimulatory properties of exosomes enable them to trigger anti-tumor responses, and exosome release from cancerous cells suggests they contribute to the recruitment and reconstitution of components of tumor microenvironments. Furthermore, their modulation of physiological and pathological processes suggests they contribute to the developmental program, infections, and human diseases. Despite significant advances, our understanding of exosomes is far from complete, particularly regarding our understanding of the molecular mechanisms that subserve exosome formation, cargo packaging, and exosome release in different cellular backgrounds. The present study presents diverse biological aspects of exosomes, and highlights their diagnostic and therapeutic potentials.

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lucas Albacete-Albacete ◽  
Miguel Sánchez-Álvarez ◽  
Miguel Angel del Pozo

ECM composition and architecture are tightly regulated for tissue homeostasis. Different disorders have been associated to alterations in the levels of proteins such as collagens, fibronectin (FN) or tenascin-C (TnC). TnC emerges as a key regulator of multiple inflammatory processes, both during physiological tissue repair as well as pathological conditions ranging from tumor progression to cardiovascular disease. Importantly, our current understanding as to how TnC and other non-collagen ECM components are secreted has remained elusive. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are small membrane-bound particles released to the extracellular space by most cell types, playing a key role in cell-cell communication. A broad range of cellular components can be transported by EVs (e.g. nucleic acids, lipids, signalling molecules and proteins). These cargoes can be transferred to target cells, potentially modulating their function. Recently, several extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins have been characterized as bona fide EV cargoes, exosomal secretion being particularly critical for TnC. EV-dependent ECM secretion might underpin diseases where ECM integrity is altered, establishing novel concepts in the field such as ECM nucleation over long distances, and highlighting novel opportunities for diagnostics and therapeutic intervention. Here, we review recent findings and standing questions on the molecular mechanisms governing EV–dependent ECM secretion and its potential relevance for disease, with a focus on TnC.


Blood ◽  
1982 ◽  
Vol 60 (3) ◽  
pp. 583-594 ◽  
Author(s):  
N Dainiak ◽  
CM Cohen

Abstract In order to examine the contribution of cell surface materials to erythroid burst-promoting activity (BPA), we separated media conditioned by a variety of human cell types into pellets and supernatants by centrifugation. When added to serum-restricted cultures of nonadherent human marrow cells, pellets contained about half of the total stimulatory activity. Freeze-fracture electron microscopy of the pellets revealed the presence of unilamellar membrane vesicles ranging from 0.10 to 0.40 microM in diameter. The amount of BPA in culture increased with added vesicle concentration in a saturable fashion. Preparation of leukocyte conditioned medium (LCM) from 125I-wheat germ agglutinin labeled cells and studies comparing the glycoprotein composition of vesicles with that of leukocyte plasma membranes suggest that LCM-derived vesicles are of plasma membrane origin. Moreover, partially purified leukocyte plasma membrane preparations also contained BPA. While disruption of vesicles by freezing/thawing and hypotonic lysis did not alter BPA, heat, trypsin, or pronase treatment removed greater than 65% of BPA, implying that vesicle surface rather than intravesicular molecules express BPA. Results of BPA assays performed in two-layer clots indicated that proximity to target cells is required for vesicle BPA expression. We conclude that membrane vesicles spontaneously shed from cell surfaces may be important regulators of erythroid burst proliferation in vitro.


Viruses ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (11) ◽  
pp. 2272
Author(s):  
Hussein Kaddour ◽  
Malik Tranquille ◽  
Chioma M. Okeoma

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are cell-derived membranous particles secreted by all cell types (including virus infected and uninfected cells) into the extracellular milieu. EVs carry, protect, and transport a wide array of bioactive cargoes to recipient/target cells. EVs regulate physiological and pathophysiological processes in recipient cells and are important in therapeutics/drug delivery. Despite these great attributes of EVs, an efficient protocol for EV separation from biofluids is lacking. Numerous techniques have been adapted for the separation of EVs with size exclusion chromatography (SEC)-based methods being the most promising. Here, we review the SEC protocols used for EV separation, and discuss opportunities for significant improvements, such as the development of novel particle purification liquid chromatography (PPLC) system capable of tandem purification and characterization of biological and synthetic particles with near-single vesicle resolution. Finally, we identify future perspectives and current issues to make PPLC a tool capable of providing a unified, automated, adaptable, yet simple and affordable particle separation resource.


Antioxidants ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (12) ◽  
pp. 1938
Author(s):  
Monique Costa ◽  
Valeria da Costa ◽  
Sofía Frigerio ◽  
María Florencia Festari ◽  
Mercedes Landeira ◽  
...  

Fasciola hepatica is a fluke that infects livestock and humans causing fasciolosis, a zoonotic disease of increasing importance due to its worldwide distribution and high economic losses. The parasite regulates the host immune system by inducing a strong Th2 and regulatory T (Treg) cell immune response through mechanisms that might involve the expression or activity of heme-oxygenase-1 (HO-1), the rate-limiting enzyme in the catabolism of free heme that also has immunoregulatory and antioxidant properties. In this paper, we show that F. hepatica-infected mice upregulate HO-1 on peritoneal antigen-presenting cells (APC), which produce decreased levels of both reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (ROS/RNS). The presence of these cells was associated with increased levels of regulatory T cells (Tregs). Blocking the IL-10 receptor (IL-10R) during parasite infection demonstrated that the presence of splenic Tregs and peritoneal APC expressing HO-1 were both dependent on IL-10 activity. Furthermore, IL-10R neutralization as well as pharmacological treatment with the HO-1 inhibitor SnPP protected mice from parasite infection and allowed peritoneal APC to produce significantly higher ROS/RNS levels than those detected in cells from infected control mice. Finally, parasite infection carried out in gp91phox knockout mice with inactive NADPH oxidase was associated with decreased levels of peritoneal HO-1+ cells and splenic Tregs, and partially protected mice from the hepatic damage induced by the parasite, revealing the complexity of the molecular mechanisms involving ROS production that participate in the complex pathology induced by this helminth. Altogether, these results contribute to the elucidation of the immunoregulatory and antioxidant role of HO-1 induced by F. hepatica in the host, providing alternative checkpoints that might control fasciolosis.


2010 ◽  
Vol 90 (2) ◽  
pp. 559-605 ◽  
Author(s):  
Péter Enyedi ◽  
Gábor Czirják

Two-pore domain K+ (K2P) channels give rise to leak (also called background) K+ currents. The well-known role of background K+ currents is to stabilize the negative resting membrane potential and counterbalance depolarization. However, it has become apparent in the past decade (during the detailed examination of the cloned and corresponding native K2P channel types) that this primary hyperpolarizing action is not performed passively. The K2P channels are regulated by a wide variety of voltage-independent factors. Basic physicochemical parameters (e.g., pH, temperature, membrane stretch) and also several intracellular signaling pathways substantially and specifically modulate the different members of the six K2P channel subfamilies (TWIK, TREK, TASK, TALK, THIK, and TRESK). The deep implication in diverse physiological processes, the circumscribed expression pattern of the different channels, and the interesting pharmacological profile brought the K2P channel family into the spotlight. In this review, we focus on the physiological roles of K2P channels in the most extensively investigated cell types, with special emphasis on the molecular mechanisms of channel regulation.


Cells ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (5) ◽  
pp. 1180 ◽  
Author(s):  
Enrico Ragni ◽  
Silvia Palombella ◽  
Silvia Lopa ◽  
Giuseppe Talò ◽  
Carlotta Perucca Orfei ◽  
...  

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) showed therapeutic properties in several applications, many in regenerative medicine. A clear example is in the treatment of osteoarthritis (OA), where adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (ASCs)-EVs were able to promote regeneration and reduce inflammation in both synovia and cartilage. A still obscure issue is the effective ability of EVs to be internalized by target cells, rather than simply bound to the extracellular matrix (ECM) or plasma membrane, since the current detection or imaging technologies cannot fully decipher it due to technical limitations. In the present study, human articular chondrocytes (ACHs) and fibroblast-like synoviocytes (FLSs) isolated from the same OA patients were cocultured in 2D as well as in 3D conditions with fluorescently labeled ASC-EVs, and analyzed by flow cytometry or confocal microscopy, respectively. In contrast with conventional 2D, in 3D cultures, confocal microscopy allowed a clear detection of the tridimensional morphology of the cells and thus an accurate discrimination of EV interaction with the external and/or internal cell environment. In both 2D and 3D conditions, FLSs were more efficient in interacting with ASC-EVs and 3D imaging demonstrated a faster uptake process. The removal of the hyaluronic acid component from the ECM of both cell types reduced their interaction with ASC-EVs only in the 2D system, showing that 2D and 3D conditions can yield different outcomes when investigating events where ECM plays a key role. These results indicate that studying EVs binding and uptake both in 2D and 3D guarantees a more precise and complementary characterization of the molecular mechanisms involved in the process. The implementation of this strategy can become a valuable tool not only for basic research, but also for release assays and potency prediction for clinical EV batches.


2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (477) ◽  
pp. eaat9143 ◽  
Author(s):  
Susannah L. Hewitt ◽  
Ailin Bai ◽  
Dyane Bailey ◽  
Kana Ichikawa ◽  
John Zielinski ◽  
...  

Many solid cancers contain dysfunctional immune microenvironments. Immune system modulators that initiate responses to foreign pathogens could be promising candidates for reigniting productive responses toward tumors. Interleukin-1 (IL-1) and IL-12 cytokine family members cooperate at barrier tissues after microbial invasion, in human inflammatory diseases, and in antitumoral immunity. IL-36γ, in classic alarmin fashion, acts in damaged tissues, whereas IL-23 centrally coordinates immune responses to danger signals. In this study, direct intratumoral delivery of messenger RNAs (mRNAs) encoding these cytokines produced robust anticancer responses in a broad range of tumor microenvironments. The addition of mRNA encoding the T cell costimulator OX40L increased complete response rates in treated and untreated distal tumors compared to the cytokine mRNAs alone. Mice exhibiting complete responses were subsequently protected from tumor rechallenge. Treatments with these mRNA mixtures induced downstream cytokine and chemokine expression, and also activated multiple dendritic cell (DC) and T cell types. Consistent with this, efficacy was dependent on Batf3-dependent cross-presenting DCs and cytotoxic CD8+T cells. IL-23/IL-36γ/OX40L triplet mRNA mixture triggered substantial immune cell recruitment into tumors, enabling effective tumor destruction irrespective of previous tumoral immune infiltrates. Last, combining triplet mRNA with checkpoint blockade led to efficacy in models otherwise resistant to systemic immune checkpoint inhibition. Human cell studies showed similar cytokine responses to the individual components of this mRNA mixture, suggesting translatability of immunomodulatory activity to human patients.


Cells ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 564 ◽  
Author(s):  
Saber H. Saber ◽  
Hamdy E. A. Ali ◽  
Rofaida Gaballa ◽  
Mohamed Gaballah ◽  
Hamed I. Ali ◽  
...  

Exosomes are nano-membrane vesicles that various cell types secrete during physiological and pathophysiological conditions. By shuttling bioactive molecules such as nucleic acids, proteins, and lipids to target cells, exosomes serve as key regulators for multiple cellular processes, including cancer metastasis. Recently, microvesicles have emerged as a challenge in the treatment of prostate cancer (PCa), encountered either when the number of vesicles increases or when the vesicles move into circulation, potentially with an ability to induce drug resistance, angiogenesis, and metastasis. Notably, the exosomal cargo can induce the desmoplastic response of PCa-associated cells in a tumor microenvironment (TME) to promote PCa metastasis. However, the crosstalk between PCa-derived exosomes and the TME remains only partially understood. In this review, we provide new insights into the metabolic and molecular signatures of PCa-associated exosomes in reprogramming the TME, and the subsequent promotion of aggressive phenotypes of PCa cells. Elucidating the molecular mechanisms of TME reprogramming by exosomes draws more practical and universal conclusions for the development of new therapeutic interventions when considering TME in the treatment of PCa patients.


Author(s):  
Hussein Kaddour ◽  
Malik Tranquille ◽  
Chioma M. Okeoma

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are cell-derived membranous particles secreted by all cell types into the extracellular milieu. EVs carry, protect, and transport a wide array of bioactive cargoes to recipient/target cells. EVs regulate physiological and pathophysiological processes in recipient cells and are important in therapeutics/drug delivery. Despite these great attributes of EVs, an efficient protocol for EV separation from biofluids is lacking. Numerous techniques have been adapted for the separation of EVs with size exclusion chromatography (SEC)-based methods being the most promising. Here, we review the SEC protocols used for EV separation, and discuss opportunities for significant improvements, such as the development of novel particle purification liquid chromatography (PPLC) system capable of tandem purification and characterization of biological and synthetic particles with near-single vesicle resolution. Finally, we identify future perspectives and current issues to make PPLC a tool capable of providing a unified, automated, adaptable, yet simple and affordable particle separation resource.


PLoS Genetics ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 17 (12) ◽  
pp. e1009951
Author(s):  
Manuel Albanese ◽  
Yen-Fu Adam Chen ◽  
Corinna Hüls ◽  
Kathrin Gärtner ◽  
Takanobu Tagawa ◽  
...  

Mammalian cells release different types of vesicles, collectively termed extracellular vesicles (EVs). EVs contain cellular microRNAs (miRNAs) with an apparent potential to deliver their miRNA cargo to recipient cells to affect the stability of individual mRNAs and the cells’ transcriptome. The extent to which miRNAs are exported via the EV route and whether they contribute to cell-cell communication are controversial. To address these issues, we defined multiple properties of EVs and analyzed their capacity to deliver packaged miRNAs into target cells to exert biological functions. We applied well-defined approaches to produce and characterize purified EVs with or without specific viral miRNAs. We found that only a small fraction of EVs carried miRNAs. EVs readily bound to different target cell types, but EVs did not fuse detectably with cellular membranes to deliver their cargo. We engineered EVs to be fusogenic and document their capacity to deliver functional messenger RNAs. Engineered fusogenic EVs, however, did not detectably alter the functionality of cells exposed to miRNA-carrying EVs. These results suggest that EV-borne miRNAs do not act as effectors of cell-to-cell communication.


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