scholarly journals Regulating the production and biological function of small extracellular vesicles: current strategies, applications and prospects

2021 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Lei Luo ◽  
Zhi Wu ◽  
Yang Wang ◽  
Haiyan Li

AbstractNumerous studies have confirmed the great application potentials of small extracellular vesicles (sEVs) in biological medical field, especially in tissue repair and regeneration. However, the production capability of sEVs by noncancerous cells is very limited, while their dosage requirements in disease treatments are usually very high. Meanwhile, as cell aging, the sEV production capability of cells decreases and the biological function of sEVs changes accordingly. In addition, for special applications, sEVs carrying desired bioactive substances should be designed to perform their expected biological function. Therefore, improving the production of sEVs and precisely regulating their biological function are of great significance for promoting the clinical applications of sEVs. In this review, some of the current classic strategies in affecting the cellular behaviors of donor cells and subsequently regulating the production and biological function of their sEVs are summarized, including gene engineering methods, stress-inducing conditions, chemical regulators, physical methods, and biomaterial stimulations. Through applying these strategies, increased yield of sEVs with required biological function can be obtained for disease treatment and tissue repair, such as bone regeneration, wound healing, nerve function recovery and cancer treatment, which could not only reduce the harvest cost of sEV but promote the practical applications of sEVs in clinic. Graphical Abstract

2017 ◽  
Vol 373 (1737) ◽  
pp. 20170003 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher D. Gregory ◽  
Margaret Paterson

The cell-death programme, apoptosis, is well established as a tumour suppressor mechanism. Paradoxically, high levels of apoptosis in tumours are closely coupled with poor prognosis. Indeed, where it has been studied, cell loss is a striking feature of high-grade cancers, illustrating the importance of considering malignant disease as an imbalance between cell gain and cell loss that favours cell gain rather than as a unidirectional disorder of cell gain alone. In addition to orchestrating cell loss, apoptosis can signal regenerative responses—for example compensatory proliferation—in neighbouring cells. Accumulating evidence suggests that normal tissue repair and regenerative processes are hijacked in the malignant tissue microenvironment such that cancer may be likened to a ‘wound that fails to stop repairing’. We have proposed that a critical requirement for the successful growth, progression and re-growth of malignant tumours is a complex milieu, conceptually termed the ‘onco-regenerative niche’, which is composed, in addition to transformed neoplastic cells, of a network of normal cells and factors activated as if in tissue repair and regeneration. Our work is based around the hypothesis that tumour cell apoptosis, macrophage activation and endothelial activation are key, interlinked elements of the onco-regenerative niche and that apoptotic tumour cell–derived extracellular vesicles provide critical intercellular communication vehicles of the niche. In aggressive B-cell lymphoma, tumour cell apoptosis promotes both angiogenesis and the accumulation of pro-tumour macrophages in the lymphoma microenvironment. Furthermore, apoptotic lymphoma-derived extracellular vesicles have potent pro-tumour potential. These findings have important implications for the roles of apoptosis in regulation of malignant diseases and for the efficacy of apoptosis-inducing anti-cancer therapies. This article is part of the discussion meeting issue ‘Extracellular vesicles and the tumour microenvironment’.


2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (10) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yizhuo Wang ◽  
Meng Zhao ◽  
Shuyun Liu ◽  
Jun Guo ◽  
Yanrong Lu ◽  
...  

Abstract Macrophages (Mφ) are primary innate immune cells that exhibit diverse functions in response to different pathogens or stimuli, and they are extensively involved in the pathology of various diseases. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are small vesicles released by live cells. As vital messengers, macrophage-derived EVs (Mφ-EVs) can transfer multiple types of bioactive molecules from macrophages to recipient cells, modulating the biological function of recipient cells. In recent years, Mφ-EVs have emerged as vital mediators not only in the pathology of multiple diseases such as inflammatory diseases, fibrosis and cancers, but also as mediators of beneficial effects in immunoregulation, cancer therapy, infectious defense, and tissue repair. Although many investigations have been performed to explore the diverse functions of Mφ-EVs in disease pathology and intervention, few studies have comprehensively summarized their detailed biological roles as currently understood. In this review, we briefly introduced an overview of macrophage and EV biology, and primarily focusing on current findings and future perspectives with respect to the pathological and therapeutic effects of Mφ-EVs in various diseases.


Author(s):  
Anika Nagelkerke ◽  
Miina Ojansivu ◽  
Luke van der Koog ◽  
Thomas E. Whittaker ◽  
Eoghan M. Cunnane ◽  
...  

2016 ◽  
Vol 55 (1) ◽  
pp. 53-61 ◽  
Author(s):  
José H. Teixeira ◽  
Andreia M. Silva ◽  
Maria Ines Almeida ◽  
Mário A. Barbosa ◽  
Susana G. Santos

2021 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Lite Ge ◽  
Chengfeng Xun ◽  
Wenshui Li ◽  
Shengyu Jin ◽  
Zuo Liu ◽  
...  

AbstractMesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) play important roles in tissue repair and regeneration, such as the induction of angiogenesis, particularly under hypoxic conditions. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying hypoxic MSC activation remain largely unknown. MSC-derived extracellular vesicles (EVs) are vital mediators of cell-to-cell communication and can be directly utilized as therapeutic agents for tissue repair and regeneration. Here, we explored the effects of EVs from human hypoxic olfactory mucosa MSCs (OM-MSCs) on angiogenesis and its underlying mechanism. EVs were isolated from normoxic (N) OM-MSCs (N-EVs) and hypoxic (H) OM-MSCs (H-EVs) using differential centrifugation and identified by transmission electron microscopy and flow cytometry. In vitro and in vivo, both types of OM-MSC-EVs promoted the proliferation, migration, and angiogenic activities of human brain microvascular endothelial cells (HBMECs). In addition, angiogenesis-stimulatory activity in the H-EV group was significantly enhanced compared to the N-EV group. MicroRNA profiling revealed a higher abundance of miR-612 in H-EVs than in N-EVs, while miR-612 inactivation abolished the N-EV treatment benefit. To explore the roles of miR-612, overexpression and knock-down experiments were performed using a mimic and inhibitor or agomir and antagomir of miR-612. The miR-612 target genes were confirmed using the luciferase reporter assay. Gain- and loss-of-function studies allowed the validation of miR-612 (enriched in hypoxic OM-MSC-EVs) as a functional messenger that stimulates angiogenesis and represses the expression of TP53 by targeting its 3′-untranslated region. Further functional assays showed that hypoxic OM-MSC-EVs promote paracrine Hypoxia-inducible factor 1-alpha (HIF-1α)-Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) signaling in HBMECs via the exosomal miR-612-TP53-HIF-1α-VEGF axis. These findings suggest that hypoxic OM-MSC-EVs may represent a promising strategy for ischemic disease by promoting angiogenesis via miR-612 transfer. Graphical Abstract


Biomedicines ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (6) ◽  
pp. 667
Author(s):  
Gabriella Racchetti ◽  
Jacopo Meldolesi

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), the cells distributed in the stromas of the body, are known for various properties including replication, the potential of various differentiations, the immune-related processes including inflammation. About two decades ago, these cells were shown to play relevant roles in the therapy of numerous diseases, dependent on their immune regulation and their release of cytokines and growth factors, with ensuing activation of favorable enzymes and processes. Such discovery induced great increase of their investigation. Soon thereafter, however, it became clear that therapeutic actions of MSCs are risky, accompanied by serious drawbacks and defects. MSC therapy has been therefore reduced to a few diseases, replaced for the others by their extracellular vesicles, the MSC-EVs. The latter vesicles recapitulate most therapeutic actions of MSCs, with equal or even better efficacies and without the serious drawbacks of the parent cells. In addition, MSC-EVs are characterized by many advantages, among which are their heterogeneities dependent on the stromas of origin, the alleviation of cell aging, the regulation of immune responses and inflammation. Here we illustrate the MSC-EV therapeutic effects, largely mediated by specific miRNAs, covering various diseases and pathological processes occurring in the bones, heart and vessels, kidney, and brain. MSC-EVs operate also on the development of cancers and on COVID-19, where they alleviate the organ lesions induced by the virus. Therapy by MSC-EVs can be improved by combination of their innate potential to engineering processes inducing precise targeting and transfer of drugs. The unique properties of MSC-EVs explain their intense studies, carried out with extraordinary success. Although not yet developed to clinical practice, the perspectives for proximal future are encouraging.


2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (15) ◽  
pp. 7960
Author(s):  
Chao-Yi Wu ◽  
Huang-Yu Yang ◽  
Jing-Long Huang ◽  
Jenn-Haung Lai

Monocytes (Mos) and macrophages (Mφs) are key players in the innate immune system and are critical in coordinating the initiation, expansion, and regression of many autoimmune diseases. In addition, they display immunoregulatory effects that impact inflammation and are essential in tissue repair and regeneration. Juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) is an umbrella term describing inflammatory joint diseases in children. Accumulated evidence suggests a link between Mo and Mφ activation and JIA pathogenesis. Accordingly, topics regarding the signals and mechanisms regulating Mo and Mφ activation leading to pathologies in patients with JIA are of great interest. In this review, we critically summarize recent advances in the understanding of how Mo and Mφ activation is involved in JIA pathogenesis and focus on the signaling pathways and mechanisms participating in the related cell activation processes.


2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiao-Bing Fu

AbstractWound healing, tissue repair and regenerative medicine are in great demand, and great achievements in these fields have been made. The traditional strategy of tissue repair and regeneration has focused on the level of tissues and organs directly; however, the basic process of repair at the cell level is often neglected. Because the cell is the basic unit of organism structure and function; cell damage is caused first by ischemia or ischemia-reperfusion after severe trauma and injury. Then, damage to tissues and organs occurs with massive cell damage, apoptosis and even cell death. Thus, how to achieve the aim of perfect repair and regeneration? The basic process of tissue or organ repair and regeneration should involve repair of cells first, then tissues and organs. In this manuscript, it is my consideration about how to repair the cell first, then regenerate the tissues and organs.


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.


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