Papakonstantinou Eleni, Dragoumani Konstantina, Mitsis Thanasis, Chrousos George P, Vlachakis Dimitrios
Laboratory of Genetics, Department of Biotechnology, School of Applied Biology and Biotechnology, Agricultural University of Athens, Athens, Greece.
University Research Institute of Maternal and Child Health & Precision Medicine, and UNESCO Chair on Adolescent Health Care, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, "Aghia Sophia" Children's Hospital, Athens, Greece.
EMBnet J. 2024;29. doi: 10.14806/ej.29.0.1050. Epub 2024 May 22.
Extracellular vesicles are a heterogeneous group of lipid-bound vesicles released by cells into the extracellular space. EVs are an important mediator of intercellular communications and carry a wide variety of molecules that exert a biological function, such as lipids, nucleic acids, proteins, ions, and adenosine triphosphate (ATP). Extracellular vesicles are classified into microvesicles, exosomes, and apoptotic bodies depending on their biogenesis and size. Exosomes are spherical lipid-bilayer vesicles with a diameter of about 40 to 100 nm. Exosomes originate from intracellular endosomal compartments, while microvesicles originated directly from a cell's plasma membrane and apoptotic bodies originate from cells undergoing apoptosis and are released via outward blebbing and fragmentation of the plasma membrane. Specifically, exosomes have garnered great attention since they display great potential as both biomarkers and carriers of therapeutic molecules.
细胞外囊泡是细胞释放到细胞外空间的一组异质性脂质结合囊泡。细胞外囊泡是细胞间通讯的重要介质，携带多种发挥生物学功能的分子，如脂质、核酸、蛋白质、离子和三磷酸腺苷（ATP）。根据其生物发生和大小，细胞外囊泡可分为微泡、外泌体和凋亡小体。外泌体是直径约40至100nm的球形脂质双层囊泡。外泌体起源于细胞内的内体区室，而微泡直接起源于细胞膜，凋亡小体则起源于正在经历凋亡的细胞，并通过细胞膜向外起泡和碎片化释放。具体而言，外泌体因其作为生物标志物和治疗分子载体的巨大潜力而备受关注。
