A promising area of research in medicine: recent advances in properties and applications of Lactobacillus-derived exosomes

Abstract

Lactobacillus-derived exosomes, small extracellular vesicles released by bacteria, have emerged as a promising area of research in recent years. These exosomes possess a unique structural and functional diversity that allows them to regulate the immune response and promote gut health. The isolation and purification of these exosomes are crucial for their effective use as a therapeutic agent. Several isolation and purification methods have been developed, including differential ultracentrifugation, density gradient centrifugation, and size-exclusion chromatography. Lactobacillus-derived exosomes have been demonstrated to have therapeutic potential in various diseases, such as inflammatory bowel disease, liver disease, and neurological disorders. Moreover, they have been shown to serve as effective carriers for drug delivery. Genetic engineering of these exosomes has also shown promise in enhancing their therapeutic potential. Overall, Lactobacillus-derived exosomes represent a promising area of research for the development of novel therapeutics for immunomodulation, gut health, and drug delivery.

Keywords: Lactobacillus-derived exosomes; genetic engineering; immunomodulation; intestinal microecological balance; isolation methods.

Figure 1

The immunomodulatory role of Lactobacillus-derived exosomes and their impact on intestinal health. Lactobacillus-derived exosomes play a pivotal role in modulating immune responses by containing proteins such as FABP6, EPCAM, and various polysaccharide molecules (Górska et al., 2014). These exosome components have the capacity to stimulate dendritic cells, resulting in the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines, including TNF-α, IL-6, IL-12, CCL2, and CXCL9 (Liu et al., 2021a,b), ultimately contributing to the potential stimulation of T cell proliferation in vitro. This underscores their profound influence on immune cell function and response, particularly within the context of intestinal immune regulation. Furthermore, proteins within Lactobacillus-derived exosomes exhibit a competitive binding capacity to the intestinal surface, thereby reducing the adhesion of harmful bacteria and mitigating the ensuing intestinal inflammatory response (Doron et al., 2005). Additionally, these exosomes encapsulate bioactive substances, such as extracellular enzymes, antibiotics, antimicrobials, antibiotic enzymes, iron carrier proteins, β-glucan, siRNA and polysaccharides, which collectively exert regulatory control over the intestinal microbiome (Uddin et al., 2020; Díaz-Garrido et al., 2021; Yang F. et al., 2022; Yang Q. et al., 2022; Yang Z. et al., 2022). This regulation impacts both the composition and abundance of intestinal flora, facilitating the enhancement of probiotic growth and metabolic activity within the intestinal environment, thus contributing to the maintenance of intestinal health.