Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Rochester, MN, USA.
J Hepatol. 2013 Sep;59(3):621-5. doi: 10.1016/j.jhep.2013.03.028. Epub 2013 Apr 2.
Exosomes are small (30-100 nm in diameter) extracellular membrane-enclosed vesicles released by different cell types into the extracellular space or into biological fluids by exocytosis as a result of fusion of intracellular multivesicular bodies with the plasma membrane. The primary function of exosomes is intercellular communication with both beneficial (physiological) and harmful (pathological) potential outcomes. Liver cells are exosome-releasing cells as well as targets for endogenous exosomes and exosomes derived from cells of other organs. Despite limited studies on liver exosomes, initial observations suggest that these vesicles are important in liver physiology and pathophysiology. In this review, we briefly summarize the recent findings on liver exosomes, their functions and significance for novel diagnostic and therapeutic approaches.
外泌体是由不同细胞类型通过胞吐作用释放到细胞外空间或生物体液中的小（直径 30-100nm）细胞外膜封闭囊泡，其是由于细胞内多泡体与质膜融合而产生的。外泌体的主要功能是通过细胞间通讯，具有有益（生理）和有害（病理）的潜在结果。肝细胞既是外泌体的释放细胞，也是内源性外泌体和来自其他器官细胞的外泌体的靶细胞。尽管对肝外泌体的研究有限，但最初的观察表明，这些囊泡在肝生理和病理生理学中具有重要作用。在这篇综述中，我们简要总结了肝外泌体的最新发现，以及它们在新型诊断和治疗方法中的功能和意义。
