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Review
. 2021 Feb 28;30(1):32-47.
doi: 10.5607/en20059.

Extracellular Vesicles and Immune System in Ageing and Immune Diseases

So Yeong Cheon  1 , Jong Eun Lee  2   3
Affiliations
Review

Extracellular Vesicles and Immune System in Ageing and Immune Diseases

So Yeong Cheon et al. Exp Neurobiol. .

Abstract

Immune system is essential for host homeostasis. Immune cells communicate with each other by binding to receptors or by releasing vesicles including chemokines and cytokines. Under healthy circumstances, immune cell-derived factors are critical for cellular growth, division and function, whereas under conditions such as ageing and inflammatory states, they can aggravate pathologies and cause disease. Cell-derived membranous extracellular vesicles mediate cell-to-cell communication and are implicated in various physiological and pathological processes involving ageing and age-related diseases. Extracellular vesicles are responsible for spreading detrimental factors to the surroundings and the propagation phase of inflammatory diseases. The regulation of extracellular vesicles is a putative target for treatment of inflammatory diseases. Moreover, their features are ideal for developing biomarkers and drug delivery systems modulated by bioengineering in inflammatory diseases. The present review summarizes the current understanding of extracellular vesicles in ageing and inflammatory diseases.

Keywords: Ageing; Biomarkers; Drug delivery system; Extracellular vesicles; Inflammatory disease.

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Conflict of interest statement

CONFLICT OF INTEREST

The authors declare no conflict of interest. The funders had no role in the design of the study, in the writing of the manuscript, or in the decision to publish this article.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Schematic overview of the extracellular vesicles (EVs). EVs enclosed in phospholipid bilayer from secreting cells contain nucleic acids and proteins that deliver signals to the cytosol of recipient cells. EVs can be classified as exosome, microvesicle, and apoptotic bodies depending on their intracellular origin, composition and size.
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Extracellular vesicles (EVs) as potential biomarkers in immune system disorders. EVs could serve as biomarkers in inflammatory diseases. Disease stage can be monitored by analyzing circulating EVs in body fluids including plasma, CSF, urine, and serum.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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