A brief history of nearly EV‐erything – The rise and rise of extracellular vesicles

AbstractMilitary and law enforcement breachers are exposed to many low-level blasts during their training and occupational experiences in which they detonate explosives to force entry into secured structures. There is a concern that exposure to these repetitive blast events in career breachers could result in cumulative neurological effects. This study aimed to determine concentrations of neurofilament light (NF-L), tau, and amyloid-beta 42 (Aβ42) in serum and in neuronal-derived extracellular vesicles (EVs) in an experienced breacher population, and to examine biomarker associations with neurobehavioral symptoms. Thirty-four participants enrolled in the study: 20 experienced breachers and 14 matched military or civilian law enforcement controls. EV tau concentrations were significantly elevated in experienced breachers (0.3301 ± 0.5225) compared to controls (−0.4279 ± 0.7557; F = 10.43, p = 0.003). No statistically significant changes were observed in EV levels of NF-L or Aβ42 or in serum levels of NF-L, tau, or Aβ42 (p’s > 0.05). Elevated EV tau concentrations correlated with increased Neurobehavioral Symptom Inventory (NSI) score in experienced breachers (r = 0.596, p = 0.015) and predicted higher NSI score (F(1,14) = 7.702, p = 0.015, R2 = 0.355). These findings show that neuronal-derived EV concentrations of tau are significantly elevated and associated with neurobehavioral symptoms in this sample of experienced breachers who have a history of many low-level blast exposures.

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Leishmania 360°: Guidelines for Exosomal Research

Microorganisms ◽

10.3390/microorganisms9102081 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 9 (10) ◽

pp. 2081

Author(s):

Áurea Martins Gabriel ◽

Adan Galué-Parra ◽

Washington Luiz Assunção Pereira ◽

Ketil Winther Pedersen ◽

Edilene Oliveira da Silva

Keyword(s):

Extracellular Vesicles ◽

Molecular Mechanisms ◽

Lipid Membrane ◽

Cell Communication ◽

Direct Methods ◽

Complete Characterization ◽

Host Interaction ◽

History Of ◽

Host Cell Interactions ◽

And Function

Leishmania parasites are a group of kinetoplastid pathogens that cause a variety of clinical disorders while maintaining cell communication by secreting extracellular vesicles. Emerging technologies have been adapted for the study of Leishmania-host cell interactions, to enable the broad-scale analysis of the extracellular vesicles of this parasite. Leishmania extracellular vesicles (LEVs) are spheroidal nanoparticles of polydispersed suspensions surrounded by a layer of lipid membrane. Although LEVs have attracted increasing attention from researchers, many aspects of their biology remain unclear, including their bioavailability and function in the complex molecular mechanisms of pathogenesis. Given the importance of LEVs in the parasite-host interaction, and in the parasite-parasite relationships that have emerged during the evolutionary history of these organisms, the present review provides an overview of the available data on Leishmania, and formulates guidelines for LEV research. We conclude by reporting direct methods for the isolation of specific LEVs from the culture supernatant of the promastigotes and amastigotes that are suitable for a range of different downstream applications, which increases the compatibility and reproducibility of the approach for the establishment of optimal and comparable isolation conditions and the complete characterization of the LEV, as well as the critical immunomodulatory events triggered by this important group of parasites.

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Extracellular Vesicles and Antiphospholipid Syndrome: State-of-the-Art and Future Challenges

International Journal of Molecular Sciences ◽

10.3390/ijms22094689 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 22 (9) ◽

pp. 4689

Author(s):

Ula Štok ◽

Saša Čučnik ◽

Snežna Sodin-Šemrl ◽

Polona Žigon

Keyword(s):

Extracellular Vesicles ◽

Antiphospholipid Syndrome ◽

Autoimmune Disorder ◽

In Vivo Models ◽

Increased Risk ◽

Future Challenges ◽

History Of ◽

Obstetric Aps

Antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) is a systemic autoimmune disorder characterized by thromboembolism, obstetric complications, and the presence of antiphospholipid antibodies (aPL). Extracellular vesicles (EVs) play a key role in intercellular communication and connectivity and are known to be involved in endothelial and vascular pathologies. Despite well-characterized in vitro and in vivo models of APS pathology, the field of EVs remains largely unexplored. This review recapitulates recent findings on the role of EVs in APS, focusing on their contribution to endothelial dysfunction. Several studies have found that APS patients with a history of thrombotic events have increased levels of EVs, particularly of endothelial origin. In obstetric APS, research on plasma levels of EVs is limited, but it appears that levels of EVs are increased. In general, there is evidence that EVs activate endothelial cells, exhibit proinflammatory and procoagulant effects, interact directly with cell receptors, and transfer biological material. Future studies on EVs in APS may provide new insights into APS pathology and reveal their potential as biomarkers to identify patients at increased risk.

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