Exosomes

Embryo implantation is a tightly timed “conversation” between embryo and endometrium; one that has to coordinate adhesion, immune tolerance, tissue remodelling, and blood-vessel changes within a narrow window of implantation. A major set of “words” in that conversation are extracellular vesicles (EVs), including exosomes; nano-sized packages released by cells that carry proteins, lipids, and nucleic acids (like miRNAs) to influence recipient cells.

If cytokines and growth factors send clear signals, extracellular vesicles (EVs) are complex chords. They have emerged as a powerful and versatile mode of communication. But how clear can the instructions from these complex particles be?

Since emerging in the last 20 years, expectations for exosomes have developed into hype in some areas. What is their real potential?

There are a wide variety of technologies available to concentrate and purify EVs and exosomes. Choosing the right one for your sample and downstream application is critical.

EVs are best known in the context of mammalian systems, where exosomes and microvesicles play critical roles in intercellular communication. However, plants also release vesicle-like particles with intriguing parallels, and key differences, from their animal counterparts.

Natural killer (NK) cells are part of the innate immune system and can identify and destroy cancer cells without prior sensitization to specific targets. These lymphocytes act as the body's first line of defense, using specialized receptors to distinguish between healthy and abnormal cells.

How robust is the evidence supporting the effectiveness of exosomes in costmetics? Where do these exosomes come from? And how large is the market for exosome-infused products?

Isolating EVs in a form compatible with downstream next-generation sequencing (NGS), particularly for small RNA analysis, can be technically challenging. But using the right kits to process the samples, many different groups have now developed an efficient workflow that is generating valuable EV microRNA data.

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a debilitating illness that 5-17% of us will experience during our lifetime. Identifying underlying biological mechanisms in MDD could increase our understanding of this disorder; allowing early-stage diagnosis and the development of new treatments. Extracellular vesicles (EVs), nano-sized, lipid-bound derivatives of cells that contain a plethora of cargo, such as miRNAs, lipids, and other proteins, offer a new avenue in this research.

Research relies on standards. For extracellular vescicles, a common language has been developed that allows a shared understanding and interpretation of data across labs.