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Review
. 2023 May 1;31(3):253-263.
doi: 10.4062/biomolther.2022.161.

Exosomes: Nomenclature, Isolation, and Biological Roles in Liver Diseases

Seol Hee Park  1 , Eun Kyeong Lee  2 , Joowon Yim  2 , Min Hoo Lee  2 , Eojin Lee  2 , Young-Sun Lee  3 , Wonhyo Seo  2
Affiliations
Review

Exosomes: Nomenclature, Isolation, and Biological Roles in Liver Diseases

Seol Hee Park et al. Biomol Ther (Seoul). .

Abstract

The biogenesis and biological roles of extracellular vesicles (EVs) in the progression of liver diseases have attracted considerable attention in recent years. EVs are membrane-bound nanosized vesicles found in different types of body fluids and contain various bioactive materials, including proteins, lipids, nucleic acids, and mitochondrial DNA. Based on their origin and biogenesis, EVs can be classified as apoptotic bodies, microvesicles, and exosomes. Among these, exosomes are the smallest EVs (30-150 nm in diameter), which play a significant role in cell-to-cell communication and epigenetic regulation. Moreover, exosomal content analysis can reveal the functional state of the parental cell. Therefore, exosomes can be applied to various purposes, including disease diagnosis and treatment, drug delivery, cell-free vaccines, and regenerative medicine. However, exosome-related research faces two major limitations: isolation of exosomes with high yield and purity and distinction of exosomes from other EVs (especially microvesicles). No standardized exosome isolation method has been established to date; however, various exosome isolation strategies have been proposed to investigate their biological roles. Exosome-mediated intercellular communications are known to be involved in alcoholic liver disease and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease development. Damaged hepatocytes or nonparenchymal cells release large numbers of exosomes that promote the progression of inflammation and fibrogenesis through interactions with neighboring cells. Exosomes are expected to provide insight on the progression of liver disease. Here, we review the biogenesis of exosomes, exosome isolation techniques, and biological roles of exosomes in alcoholic liver disease and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.

Keywords: Biogenesis; Chronic liver disease; Exosome; Extracellular vesicles; Isolation techniques.

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Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Biogenesis of exosomes and the classification of extracellular vesicles. This figure was created with BioRender (http://biorender.com).
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Biological roles of exosomes in the alcoholic liver disease and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. This figure was created with BioRender (http://biorender.com).
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Exosome isolation techniques using biofluid. This figure was created with BioRender (http://biorender.com).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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