Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2016 Nov 1;311(5):F844-F851.
doi: 10.1152/ajprenal.00429.2016. Epub 2016 Aug 31.

Extracellular vesicles in diagnosis and therapy of kidney diseases

Wei Zhang  1   2 , Xiangjun Zhou  3   2 , Hao Zhang  1 , Qisheng Yao  3 , Yutao Liu  2 , Zheng Dong  4   5
Affiliations
Review

Extracellular vesicles in diagnosis and therapy of kidney diseases

Wei Zhang et al. Am J Physiol Renal Physiol. .

Abstract

Extracellular vesicles (EV) are endogenously produced, membrane-bound vesicles that contain various molecules. Depending on their size and origins, EVs are classified into apoptotic bodies, microvesicles, and exosomes. A fundamental function of EVs is to mediate intercellular communication. In kidneys, recent research has begun to suggest a role of EVs, especially exosomes, in cell-cell communication by transferring proteins, mRNAs, and microRNAs to recipient cells as nanovectors. EVs may mediate the cross talk between various cell types within kidneys for the maintenance of tissue homeostasis. They may also mediate the cross talk between kidneys and other organs under physiological and pathological conditions. EVs have been implicated in the pathogenesis of both acute kidney injury and chronic kidney diseases, including renal fibrosis, end-stage renal disease, glomerular diseases, and diabetic nephropathy. The release of EVs with specific molecular contents into urine and plasma may be useful biomarkers for kidney disease. In addition, EVs produced by cultured cells may have therapeutic effects for these diseases. However, the role of EVs in kidney diseases is largely unclear, and the mechanism underlying EV production and secretion remains elusive. In this review, we introduce the basics of EVs and then analyze the present information about the involvement, diagnostic value, and therapeutic potential of EVs in major kidney diseases.

Keywords: acute kidney injury; biomarker; chronic kidney disease; exosome; therapy.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Fig. 1.
Fig. 1.
Proteins originated from different cells type of the nephron transported via extracellular vesicles.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Alvarez-Erviti L, Seow Y, Yin H, Betts C, Lakhal S, Wood MJ. Delivery of siRNA to the mouse brain by systemic injection of targeted exosomes. Nat Biotechnol 29: 341–345, 2011. - PubMed
    1. Alvarez S, Suazo C, Boltansky A, Ursu M, Carvajal D, Innocenti G, Vukusich A, Hurtado M, Villanueva S, Carreno JE, Rogelio A, Irarrazabal CE. Urinary exosomes as a source of kidney dysfunction biomarker in renal transplantation. Transpl Proc 45: 3719–3723, 2013. - PubMed
    1. Amabile N, Guerin AP, Leroyer A, Mallat Z, Nguyen C, Boddaert J, London GM, Tedgui A, Boulanger CM. Circulating endothelial microparticles are associated with vascular dysfunction in patients with end-stage renal failure. J Am Soc Nephrol 16: 3381–3388, 2005. - PubMed
    1. Amabile N, Guerin AP, Tedgui A, Boulanger CM, London GM. Predictive value of circulating endothelial microparticles for cardiovascular mortality in end-stage renal failure: A pilot study. Nephrol Dial Transplant 27: 1873–1880, 2012. - PubMed
    1. Barutta F, Tricarico M, Corbelli A, Annaratone L, Pinach S, Grimaldi S, Bruno G, Cimino D, Taverna D, Deregibus MC, Rastaldi MP, Perin PC, Gruden G. Urinary exosomal microRNAs in incipient diabetic nephropathy. PLoS One 8: e73798, 2013. - PMC - PubMed

Publication types

MeSH terms