scholarly journals Platelet Extracellular Vesicles

Author(s):  
Florian Puhm ◽  
Eric Boilard ◽  
Kellie R. Machlus

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are a means of cell-to-cell communication and can facilitate the exchange of a broad array of molecules between adjacent or distant cells. Platelets are anucleate cells derived from megakaryocytes and are primarily known for their role in maintaining hemostasis and vascular integrity. Upon activation by a variety of agonists, platelets readily generate EVs, which were initially identified as procoagulant particles. However, as both platelets and their EVs are abundant in blood, the role of platelet EVs in hemostasis may be redundant. Moreover, findings have challenged the significance of platelet-derived EVs in coagulation. Looking beyond hemostasis, platelet EV cargo is incredibly diverse and can include lipids, proteins, nucleic acids, and organelles involved in numerous other biological processes. Furthermore, while platelets cannot cross tissue barriers, their EVs can enter lymph, bone marrow, and synovial fluid. This allows for the transfer of platelet-derived content to cellular recipients and organs inaccessible to platelets. This review highlights the importance of platelet-derived EVs in physiological and pathological conditions beyond hemostasis.

Cells ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (10) ◽  
pp. 2145 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stefano Raffaele ◽  
Marta Lombardi ◽  
Claudia Verderio ◽  
Marta Fumagalli

Tumor necrosis factor (TNF) is a pleiotropic cytokine powerfully influencing diverse processes of the central nervous system (CNS) under both physiological and pathological conditions. Here, we analyze current literature describing the molecular processes involved in TNF synthesis and release from microglia, the resident immune cells of the CNS and the main source of this cytokine both in brain development and neurodegenerative diseases. A special attention has been given to the unconventional vesicular pathway of TNF, based on the emerging role of microglia-derived extracellular vesicles (EVs) in the propagation of inflammatory signals and in mediating cell-to-cell communication. Moreover, we describe the contribution of microglial TNF in regulating important CNS functions, including the neuroinflammatory response following brain injury, the neuronal circuit formation and synaptic plasticity, and the processes of myelin damage and repair. Specifically, the available data on the functions mediated by microglial EVs carrying TNF have been scrutinized to gain insights on possible novel therapeutic strategies targeting TNF to foster CNS repair.


Genes ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (6) ◽  
pp. 902
Author(s):  
Eva Costanzi ◽  
Carolina Simioni ◽  
Gabriele Varano ◽  
Cinzia Brenna ◽  
Ilaria Conti ◽  
...  

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) have attracted interest as mediators of intercellular communication following the discovery that EVs contain RNA molecules, including non-coding RNA (ncRNA). Growing evidence for the enrichment of peculiar RNA species in specific EV subtypes has been demonstrated. ncRNAs, transferred from donor cells to recipient cells, confer to EVs the feature to regulate the expression of genes involved in differentiation, proliferation, apoptosis, and other biological processes. These multiple actions require accuracy in the isolation of RNA content from EVs and the methodologies used play a relevant role. In liver, EVs play a crucial role in regulating cell–cell communications and several pathophysiological events in the heterogeneous liver class of cells via horizontal transfer of their cargo. This review aims to discuss the rising role of EVs and their ncRNAs content in regulating specific aspects of hepatocellular carcinoma development, including tumorigenesis, angiogenesis, and tumor metastasis. We analyze the progress in EV-ncRNAs’ potential clinical applications as important diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers for liver conditions.


2021 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 311-338
Author(s):  
Giulia Della Rosa ◽  
Clarissa Ruggeri ◽  
Alessandra Aloisi

Exosomes (EXOs) are nano-sized informative shuttles acting as endogenous mediators of cell-to-cell communication. Their innate ability to target specific cells and deliver functional cargo is recently claimed as a promising theranostic strategy. The glycan profile, actively involved in the EXO biogenesis, release, sorting and function, is highly cell type-specific and frequently altered in pathological conditions. Therefore, the modulation of EXO glyco-composition has recently been considered an attractive tool in the design of novel therapeutics. In addition to the available approaches involving conventional glyco-engineering, soft technology is becoming more and more attractive for better exploiting EXO glycan tasks and optimizing EXO delivery platforms. This review, first, explores the main functions of EXO glycans and associates the potential implications of the reported new findings across the nanomedicine applications. The state-of-the-art of the last decade concerning the role of natural polysaccharides—as targeting molecules and in 3D soft structure manufacture matrices—is then analysed and highlighted, as an advancing EXO biofunction toolkit. The promising results, integrating the biopolymers area to the EXO-based bio-nanofabrication and bio-nanotechnology field, lay the foundation for further investigation and offer a new perspective in drug delivery and personalized medicine progress.


Cells ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (9) ◽  
pp. 2316
Author(s):  
Lucia Catani ◽  
Michele Cavo ◽  
Francesca Palandri

Myeloproliferative Neoplasms (MPN) are acquired clonal disorders of the hematopoietic stem cells and include Essential Thrombocythemia, Polycythemia Vera and Myelofibrosis. MPN are characterized by mutations in three driver genes (JAK2, CALR and MPL) and by a state of chronic inflammation. Notably, MPN patients experience increased risk of thrombosis, disease progression, second neoplasia and evolution to acute leukemia. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are a heterogeneous population of microparticles with a role in cell-cell communication. The EV-mediated cross-talk occurs via the trafficking of bioactive molecules such as nucleic acids, proteins, metabolites and lipids. Growing interest is focused on EVs and their potential impact on the regulation of blood cancers. Overall, EVs have been suggested to orchestrate the complex interplay between tumor cells and the microenvironment with a pivotal role in “education” and “crafting” of the microenvironment by regulating angiogenesis, coagulation, immune escape and drug resistance of tumors. This review is focused on the role of EVs in MPN. Specifically, we will provide an overview of recent findings on the involvement of EVs in MPN pathogenesis and discuss opportunities for their potential application as diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers.


2019 ◽  
Vol 317 (5) ◽  
pp. G739-G749 ◽  
Author(s):  
Harmeet Malhi

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are membrane-defined nanoparticles released by most cell types. The EVs released by cells may differ quantitatively and qualitatively from physiological states to disease states. There are several unique properties of EVs, including their proteins, lipids and nucleic acid cargoes, stability in circulation, and presence in biofluids, which make them a critical vector for cell-to-cell communication and impart utility as a biomarker. EVs may also serve as a vehicle for selective cargo secretion. Similarly, EV cargo may be selectively manipulated for targeted therapeutic delivery. In this review an overview is provided on the EV classification, biogenesis, and secretion pathways, which are conserved across cell types. Next, cargo characterization and effector cell responses are discussed in the context of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis, alcoholic hepatitis, and acetaminophen-induced liver injury. The review also discusses the potential biomarker and therapeutic uses of circulating EVs.


2019 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
pp. 266 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gabriella Schiera ◽  
Carlo Maria Di Liegro ◽  
Italia Di Liegro

Most aspects of nervous system development and function rely on the continuous crosstalk between neurons and the variegated universe of non-neuronal cells surrounding them. The most extraordinary property of this cellular community is its ability to undergo adaptive modifications in response to environmental cues originating from inside or outside the body. Such ability, known as neuronal plasticity, allows long-lasting modifications of the strength, composition and efficacy of the connections between neurons, which constitutes the biochemical base for learning and memory. Nerve cells communicate with each other through both wiring (synaptic) and volume transmission of signals. It is by now clear that glial cells, and in particular astrocytes, also play critical roles in both modes by releasing different kinds of molecules (e.g., D-serine secreted by astrocytes). On the other hand, neurons produce factors that can regulate the activity of glial cells, including their ability to release regulatory molecules. In the last fifteen years it has been demonstrated that both neurons and glial cells release extracellular vesicles (EVs) of different kinds, both in physiologic and pathological conditions. Here we discuss the possible involvement of EVs in the events underlying learning and memory, in both physiologic and pathological conditions.


2019 ◽  
Vol 127 (2) ◽  
pp. 645-653 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ivan J. Vechetti

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) were initially characterized as “garbage bags” with the purpose of removing unwanted material from cells. It is now becoming clear that EVs mediate intercellular communication between distant cells through a transfer of genetic material, a process important to the systemic adaptation in physiological and pathological conditions. Although speculative, it has been suggested that the majority of EVs that make it into the bloodstream would be coming from skeletal muscle, since it is one of the largest organs in the human body. Although it is well established that skeletal muscle secretes peptides (currently known as myokines) into the bloodstream, the notion that skeletal muscle releases EVs is in its infancy. Besides intercellular communication and systemic adaptation, EV release could represent the mechanism by which muscle adapts to certain stimuli. This review summarizes the current understanding of EV biology and biogenesis and current isolation methods and briefly discusses the possible role EVs have in regulating skeletal muscle mass.


Hypertension ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 77 (1) ◽  
pp. 28-38
Author(s):  
Olga Martinez-Arroyo ◽  
Ana Ortega ◽  
Josep Redon ◽  
Raquel Cortes

Hypertension-mediated organ damage frequently includes renal function decline in which several mechanisms are involved. The present review outlines the state of the art on extracellular vesicles in hypertension and hypertension-related renal damage. Emerging evidence indicates that extracellular vesicles, small vesicles secreted by most cell types and body fluids, are involved in cell-to-cell communication and are key players mediating biological processes such as inflammation, endothelial dysfunction or fibrosis, mechanisms present the onset and progression of hypertension-associated kidney disease. We address the potential use of extracellular vesicles as markers of hypertension-mediated kidney damage severity and their application as therapeutic agents in hypertension-associated renal damage. The capacity of exosomes to deliver a wide variety of cargos to the target cell efficiently makes them a potential drug delivery system for treatment of renal diseases.


Cancers ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 136 ◽  
Author(s):  
Clodagh O’Neill ◽  
Katie Gilligan ◽  
Róisín Dwyer

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are nanosized particles released by all cells that have been heralded as novel regulators of cell-to-cell communication. It is becoming increasingly clear that in response to a variety of stress conditions, cells employ EV-mediated intercellular communication to transmit a pro-survival message in the tumor microenvironment and beyond, supporting evasion of cell death and transmitting resistance to therapy. Understanding changes in EV cargo and secretion pattern during cell stress may uncover novel, targetable mechanisms underlying disease progression, metastasis and resistance to therapy. Further, the profile of EVs released into the circulation may provide a circulating biomarker predictive of response to therapy and indicative of microenvironmental conditions linked to disease progression, such as hypoxia. Continued progress in this exciting and rapidly expanding field of research will be dependent upon widespread adoption of transparent reporting standards and implementation of guidelines to establish a consensus on methods of EV isolation, characterisation and nomenclature employed.


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