Extracellular vesicles: structure, function, and potential clinical uses in renal diseases

Abstract

Interest in the role of extracellular vesicles in various diseases including cancer has been increasing. Extracellular vesicles include microvesicles, exosomes, apoptotic bodies, and argosomes, and are classified by size, content, synthesis, and function. Currently, the best characterized are exosomes and microvesicles. Exosomes are small vesicles (40-100 nm) involved in intercellular communication regardless of the distance between them. They are found in various biological fluids such as plasma, serum, and breast milk, and are formed from multivesicular bodies through the inward budding of the endosome membrane. Microvesicles are 100-1000 nm vesicles released from the cell by the outward budding of the plasma membrane. The therapeutic potential of extracellular vesicles is very broad, with applications including a route of drug delivery and as biomarkers for diagnosis. Extracellular vesicles extracted from stem cells may be used for treatment of many diseases including kidney diseases. This review highlights mechanisms of synthesis and function, and the potential uses of well-characterized extracellular vesicles, mainly exosomes, with a special focus on renal functions and diseases.

Blood-Based Biomarkers for Metabolic Syndrome

“…Furthermore, as unique markers for the different vesicle types have not yet been fully defined, the origin of vesicles released from cells cannot be identified. For this reason, here we use the collective term EVs [10][11][12][13][14].…”

Effect of exosomes derived from multipluripotent mesenchymal stromal cells on functional recovery and neurovascular plasticity in rats after traumatic brain injury

“…36 Recent studies indicate that exosomes and microvesicles derived from multipotent MSCs have therapeutic promise in cardiovascular, liver, and kidney diseases. 7,17,60 We have previously demonstrated that exosomes generated from MSCs promote neurite remodeling and functional recovery in rats after stroke. 91 As a proof-of-principle study of MSC-exosomes as a novel cell-free alternative therapeutic approach for TBI, we will test the hypothesis that exosomes generated from MSCs when systemically administered to an animal with TBI improve functional outcome, with therapeutic benefits reflecting those observed with systemically administered MSCs.…”

Systemic administration of cell-free exosomes generated by human bone marrow derived mesenchymal stem cells cultured under 2D and 3D conditions improves functional recovery in rats after traumatic brain injury

“…In contrast to transplanted exogenous MSCs, nanosized exosomes derived from MSCs do not proliferate, are less immunogenic and easier to store and deliver than MSCs (Lai et al, 2011). Recent studies indicate that exosomes and microvesicles derived from multipotent MSCs have therapeutic promise in cardiovascular, kidney, liver and lung diseases (Akyurekli et al, 2015; Borges et al, 2013; Cosme et al, 2013; Lai et al, 2011; Lai et al, 2015; Liang et al, 2014; Masyuk et al, 2013; Yu et al, 2014). We have demonstrated that exosomes generated from rat MSCs improve functional recovery in rats after stroke (Xin et al, 2013b) and TBI (Zhang et al, 2015).…”