Potential Therapeutic Effect of Micrornas in Extracellular Vesicles from Mesenchymal Stem Cells against SARS-CoV-2

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are cell-released, nanometer-scaled, membrane-bound materials and contain diverse contents including proteins, small peptides, and nucleic acids. Once released, EVs can alter the microenvironment and regulate a myriad of cellular physiology components, including cell–cell communication, proliferation, differentiation, and immune responses against viral infection. Among the cargoes in the vesicles, small non-coding micro-RNAs (miRNAs) have received attention in that they can regulate the expression of a variety of human genes as well as external viral genes via binding to the complementary mRNAs. In this study, we tested the potential of EVs as therapeutic agents for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection. First, we found that the mesenchymal stem-cell-derived EVs (MSC-EVs) enabled the rescue of the cytopathic effect of SARS-CoV-2 virus and the suppression of proinflammatory responses in the infected cells by inhibiting the viral replication. We found that these anti-viral responses were mediated by 17 miRNAs matching the rarely mutated, conserved 3′-untranslated regions (UTR) of the viral genome. The top five miRNAs highly expressed in the MSC-EVs, miR-92a-3p, miR-26a-5p, miR-23a-3p, miR-103a-3p, and miR-181a-5p, were tested. They were bound to the complemented sequence which led to the recovery of the cytopathic effects. These findings suggest that the MSC-EVs are a potential candidate for multiple variants of anti-SARS-CoV-2.

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Diverse populations of extracellular vesicles with opposite functions during herpes simplex virus 1 infection

Journal of Virology ◽

10.1128/jvi.02357-20 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Christos Dogrammatzis ◽

Shadia Saleh ◽

Clayton Deighan ◽

Maria Kalamvoki

Keyword(s):

Herpes Simplex Virus ◽

Herpes Simplex ◽

Extracellular Vesicles ◽

Functional Characterization ◽

Cell Communication ◽

Antiviral Effect ◽

Herpes Simplex Virus 1 ◽

Infected Cells ◽

Simplex Virus ◽

Hsv 1

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are released by all types of cells as a means of intercellular communication. Their significance lies in the fact that they can alter recipient cells functions, despite their limited capacity for cargo. We have previously demonstrated that herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1) infection influences the cargo and functions of EVs released by infected cells, and that these EVs negatively impact a subsequent HSV-1 infection. In the present study, we have implemented cutting-edge technologies to further characterize EVs released during HSV-1 infection. We identified distinct EV populations that were separable through a gradient approach. One population was positive for the tetraspanin CD63 and was distinct from EVs carrying components of the endosomal sorting complexes required for transport (ESCRT). Nanoparticle tracking analysis (NTA) combined with protein analysis indicated that the production of CD63+ EVs was selectively induced upon HSV-1 infection. The ExoView platform supported these data and suggested that the amount of CD63 per vesicle is higher upon infection. This platform also identified EV populations positive for other tetraspanins, including CD81 and CD9, whose abundance decreased upon HSV-1 infection. The STimulator of INterferon Genes (STING) was found in CD63+ EVs released during HSV-1 infection, while viral components were found in ESCRT+ EVs. Functional characterization of these EVs demonstrated that they have opposite effects on the infection, but the dominant effect was negative. Overall, we have identified the dominant population of EVs, and other EV populations produced during HSV-1 infection, and we have provided information about potential roles. Importance Extracellular vesicles mediate cell-to-cell communication and convey messages important for cell homeostasis. Pathways of EV biogenesis are often hijacked by pathogens to facilitate their dissemination and to establish a favorable microenvironment for the infection. We have previously shown that HSV-1 infection alters the cargo and functions of the released EVs, which negatively impact the infection. We have built upon our previous findings by developing procedures to separate EV populations from HSV-1 infected cells. We identified the major population of EVs released during infection, which carries the DNA sensor STING and has an antiviral effect. We also identified an EV population that carries selected viral proteins and has a pro-viral role. This is the first study to characterize EV populations during infection. These data indicate that the complex interactions between the virus and the host are extended to the extracellular environment and could impact HSV-1 dissemination and persistence in the host.

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Extracellular vesicles and viruses: Are they close relatives?

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences ◽

10.1073/pnas.1605146113 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 113 (33) ◽

pp. 9155-9161 ◽

Cited By ~ 164

Author(s):

Esther Nolte-‘t Hoen ◽

Tom Cremer ◽

Robert C. Gallo ◽

Leonid B. Margolis

Keyword(s):

Viral Infection ◽

Extracellular Vesicles ◽

Targeted Drug Delivery ◽

Genetic Material ◽

Cell Communication ◽

Viral Proteins ◽

Phospholipid Membrane ◽

Infected Cells ◽

Close Relatives ◽

Physical And Chemical

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) released by various cells are small phospholipid membrane-enclosed entities that can carry miRNA. They are now central to research in many fields of biology because they seem to constitute a new system of cell–cell communication. Physical and chemical characteristics of many EVs, as well as their biogenesis pathways, resemble those of retroviruses. Moreover, EVs generated by virus-infected cells can incorporate viral proteins and fragments of viral RNA, being thus indistinguishable from defective (noninfectious) retroviruses. EVs, depending on the proteins and genetic material incorporated in them, play a significant role in viral infection, both facilitating and suppressing it. Deciphering the mechanisms of EV-cell interactions may facilitate the design of EVs that inhibit viral infection and can be used as vehicles for targeted drug delivery.

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Micro RNAs are minor constituents of extracellular vesicles and are hardly delivered to target cells

10.1101/2020.05.20.106393 ◽

2020 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Manuel Albanese ◽

Yen-Fu Adam Chen ◽

Corinna Hüls ◽

Kathrin Gärtner ◽

Takanobu Tagawa ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Extracellular Vesicles ◽

Mammalian Cells ◽

Cell Communication ◽

Cell Types ◽

Convincing Evidence ◽

Target Cells ◽

Mrna Targets ◽

Negative Results ◽

Micro Rnas ◽

Different Types

ABSTRACTMammalian 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 analyzed the capacity of EVs to deliver packaged miRNAs into target cells and 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 there was no EV-cell membrane fusion or delivery of cargo. Importantly, the functionality of cells exposed to miRNA-carrying EVs was not affected. These results suggest EV-borne miRNAs do not act as effectors and question their relevancy in paracrine cell-to-cell communication.AUTHOR SUMMARYThe majority of metazoan cells release vesicles of different types and origins, such as exosomes and microvesicles, now collectively termed extracellular vesicles (EVs). EVs have gained much attention because they contain microRNAs (miRNAs) and thus could regulate their specific mRNA targets in recipient or acceptor cells that take up EVs. Using a novel fusion assay with superior sensitivity and specificity, we revisited this claim but found no convincing evidence for an efficient functional uptake of EVs in many different cell lines and primary human blood cells. Even EVs engineered to fuse and deliver their miRNA cargo to recipient cells had no measurable effect on target mRNAs in very carefully controlled, quantitative experiments. Our negative results clearly indicate that EVs do not act as vehicles for miRNA-based cell-to-cell communication.

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Delivery of microRNAs by Extracellular Vesicles in Viral Infections: Could the News be Packaged?

Cells ◽

10.3390/cells8060611 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 8 (6) ◽

pp. 611 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

Fabio Seiti Yamada Yoshikawa ◽

Franciane Mouradian Emidio Teixeira ◽

Maria Notomi Sato ◽

Luanda Mara da Silva Oliveira

Keyword(s):

Extracellular Vesicles ◽

Viral Infections ◽

Cell Communication ◽

Donor Cell ◽

Target Cells ◽

Immune Recognition ◽

Messenger Rnas ◽

Pathological Conditions ◽

Infected Cells ◽

Cell Profile

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are released by various cells and recently have attracted attention because they constitute a refined system of cell–cell communication. EVs deliver a diverse array of biomolecules including messenger RNAs (mRNAs), microRNAs (miRNAs), proteins and lipids, and they can be used as potential biomarkers in normal and pathological conditions. The cargo of EVs is a snapshot of the donor cell profile; thus, in viral infections, EVs produced by infected cells could be a central player in disease pathogenesis. In this context, miRNAs incorporated into EVs can affect the immune recognition of viruses and promote or restrict their replication in target cells. In this review, we provide an updated overview of the roles played by EV-delivered miRNAs in viral infections and discuss the potential consequences for the host response. The full understanding of the functions of EVs and miRNAs can turn into useful biomarkers for infection detection and monitoring and/or uncover potential therapeutic targets.

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Separation of Extracellular Vesicles by DNA-Directed Immunocapturing Followed by Enzymatic Release

10.26434/chemrxiv.12234683 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Dario Brambilla ◽

Laura Sola ◽

Elisa Chiodi ◽

Natasa Zarovni ◽

Diogo Fortunato ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Cell Culture ◽

Extracellular Vesicles ◽

Culture Media ◽

Biological Fluids ◽

Imaging Techniques ◽

Cell Communication ◽

Disease Diagnosis ◽

Cell Culture Supernatant ◽

Transmission Electron ◽

Downstream Analysis

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) have attracted great interest among researchers due to their role in cell-cell communication, disease diagnosis, and drug delivery. In spite of their potential in the medical field, there is no consensus on the best method for separating microvesicles from cell culture supernatant and complex biological fluids. Obtaining a good recovery yield and preserving physical characteristics is critical for the diagnostic and therapeutic use of EVs. The separation is made complex by the fact that blood and cell culture media, contain a large number of nanoparticles in the same size range. Methods that exploit immunoaffinity capture provide high purity samples and overcome the issues of currently used separation methods. However, the release of captured nanovesicles requires harsh conditions that hinder their use in certain types of downstream analysis. Herein, a novel capture and release approach for small extracellular vesicles (sEVs), based on DNAdirected immobilization of antiCD63 antibody is presented. The flexible DNAlinker increases the capture efficiency and allows releasing of EVs by exploiting the endonucleasic activity of DNAse I. This separation protocol works under mild conditions, enabling the release of intact vesicles that can be successfully analyzed by imaging techniques. In this article sEVs recovered from plasma were characterized by established techniques for EVs analysis including nanoparticle tracking and transmission electron microscopy.<br>

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Scanning electron microscopic studies of virus-infected cells. I. Cytopathic effects and maturation of vesicular stomatitis virus in L2 cells.

Journal of Virology ◽

10.1128/jvi.15.2.355-362.1975 ◽

1975 ◽

Vol 15 (2) ◽

pp. 355-362 ◽

Cited By ~ 18

Author(s):

K V Holmes

Keyword(s):

Vesicular Stomatitis Virus ◽

Electron Microscopic ◽

Cytopathic Effects ◽

Scanning Electron Microscopic ◽

Microscopic Studies ◽

Infected Cells ◽

Vesicular Stomatitis ◽

L2 Cells ◽

Scanning Electron

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Multiple Roles of Exosomal Long Noncoding RNAs in Cancers

BioMed Research International ◽

10.1155/2019/1460572 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 2019 ◽

pp. 1-12 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Wenyuan Zhao ◽

Yuanqi Liu ◽

Chunfang Zhang ◽

Chaojun Duan

Keyword(s):

Extracellular Vesicles ◽

Cancer Diagnosis ◽

Tumor Angiogenesis ◽

Cell Communication ◽

Noncoding Rnas ◽

Multiple Roles ◽

Long Noncoding Rnas ◽

Cancer Therapies ◽

Transcriptional Noise ◽

Intercellular Exchange

Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are not transcriptional noise, as previously understood, but are currently considered to be multifunctional. Exosomes are derived from the internal multivesicular compartment and are extracellular vesicles (EVs) with diameters of 30–100 nm. Exosomes play significant roles in the intercellular exchange of information and material. Exosomal lncRNAs may be promising biomarkers for cancer diagnosis and potential targets for cancer therapies, since they are increasingly understood to be involved in tumorigenesis, tumor angiogenesis, and chemoresistance. This review mainly focuses on the roles of emerging exosomal lncRNAs in cancer. In addition, the biogenesis of exosomes, the functions of lncRNAs, and the mechanisms of lncRNAs in exosome-mediated cell-cell communication are also summarized.

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Helicobacter pylori Outer Membrane Vesicles and Extracellular Vesicles from Helicobacter pylori-Infected Cells in Gastric Disease Development

International Journal of Molecular Sciences ◽

10.3390/ijms22094823 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 22 (9) ◽

pp. 4823

Author(s):

María Fernanda González ◽

Paula Díaz ◽

Alejandra Sandoval-Bórquez ◽

Daniela Herrera ◽

Andrew F. G. Quest

Keyword(s):

Gastric Cancer ◽

Helicobacter Pylori ◽

Outer Membrane ◽

Extracellular Vesicles ◽

Membrane Vesicles ◽

Outer Membrane Vesicles ◽

Host Cells ◽

Gastric Epithelium ◽

Infected Cells ◽

H Pylori

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are cell-derived vesicles important in intercellular communication that play an essential role in host-pathogen interactions, spreading pathogen-derived as well as host-derived molecules during infection. Pathogens can induce changes in the composition of EVs derived from the infected cells and use them to manipulate their microenvironment and, for instance, modulate innate and adaptive inflammatory immune responses, both in a stimulatory or suppressive manner. Gastric cancer is one of the leading causes of cancer-related deaths worldwide and infection with Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) is considered the main risk factor for developing this disease, which is characterized by a strong inflammatory component. EVs released by host cells infected with H. pylori contribute significantly to inflammation, and in doing so promote the development of disease. Additionally, H. pylori liberates vesicles, called outer membrane vesicles (H. pylori-OMVs), which contribute to atrophia and cell transformation in the gastric epithelium. In this review, the participation of both EVs from cells infected with H. pylori and H. pylori-OMVs associated with the development of gastric cancer will be discussed. By deciphering which functions of these external vesicles during H. pylori infection benefit the host or the pathogen, novel treatment strategies may become available to prevent disease.

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CSF extracellular vesicles and risk of disease activity after a first demyelinating event

Multiple Sclerosis Journal ◽

10.1177/1352458520987542 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 135245852098754

Author(s):

Gloria Dalla Costa ◽

Tommaso Croese ◽

Marco Pisa ◽

Annamaria Finardi ◽

Lorena Fabbella ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Disease Activity ◽

Extracellular Vesicles ◽

Prognostic Markers ◽

Cell Communication ◽

Extracellular Vesicle ◽

Intervention Strategies ◽

Targeted Intervention ◽

Improve Risk Stratification ◽

Risk Of Disease ◽

In Cis

Background: Extracellular vesicles (EVs), a recently described mechanism of cell communication, are released from activated microglial cells and macrophages and are a candidate biomarker in diseases characterized by chronic inflammatory process such as multiple sclerosis (MS). Methods: We explored cerebrospinal fluid extracellular vesicle (CSF EV) of myeloid origin (MEVs), cytokine and chemokine levels in patients with clinically isolated syndrome (CIS). Results: We found that CSF MEVs were significantly higher in CIS patients than in controls and were inversely correlated to CSF CCL2 levels. MEVs level were significantly associated with an shorter time to evidence of disease activity (hazard ratio: 1.01, 95% confidence interval: 1.00–1.02, p < 0.01) independently from other known prognostic markers. Conclusion: After a first demyelinating event, CSF EVs may improve risk stratification of these patients and allow more targeted intervention strategies.

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Glycosylation of Cancer Extracellular Vesicles: Capture Strategies, Functional Roles and Potential Clinical Applications

Cells ◽

10.3390/cells10010109 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 10 (1) ◽

pp. 109

Author(s):

Álvaro M. Martins ◽

Cátia C. Ramos ◽

Daniela Freitas ◽

Celso A. Reis

Keyword(s):

Extracellular Vesicles ◽

Biomarker Discovery ◽

De Novo ◽

Recipient Cell ◽

Cell Communication ◽

Cancer Biomarkers ◽

Functional Roles ◽

Molecular Information ◽

Glycosylation Pathway ◽

Organ Tropism

Glycans are major constituents of extracellular vesicles (EVs). Alterations in the glycosylation pathway are a common feature of cancer cells, which gives rise to de novo or increased synthesis of particular glycans. Therefore, glycans and glycoproteins have been widely used in the clinic as both stratification and prognosis cancer biomarkers. Interestingly, several of the known tumor-associated glycans have already been identified in cancer EVs, highlighting EV glycosylation as a potential source of circulating cancer biomarkers. These particles are crucial vehicles of cell–cell communication, being able to transfer molecular information and to modulate the recipient cell behavior. The presence of particular glycoconjugates has been described to be important for EV protein sorting, uptake and organ-tropism. Furthermore, specific EV glycans or glycoproteins have been described to be able to distinguish tumor EVs from benign EVs. In this review, the application of EV glycosylation in the development of novel EV detection and capture methodologies is discussed. In addition, we highlight the potential of EV glycosylation in the clinical setting for both cancer biomarker discovery and EV therapeutic delivery strategies.

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