Wang Qianting, Sun Jiayu, Jiang Haci, Yu Mengfei
Stomatology Hospital, School of Stomatology, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases of the Zhejiang Province, Key Laboratory of Oral Biomedical Research of Zhejiang Province, Cancer Center of Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.
Int J Oral Sci. 2025 Feb 4;17(1):11. doi: 10.1038/s41368-024-00341-9.
The oral and maxillofacial region is a highly complex area composed of multiple tissue types and bears various critical functions of the human body. Diseases in this region pose significant diagnostic and management challenges; therefore, exploring new strategies for early diagnosis, targeted treatment, and tissue reconstruction is key to improving patient prognosis and quality of life. Extracellular vesicles are a group of heterogeneous lipid-bilayer membrane structures secreted by most cell types, including exosomes, microvesicles, and apoptotic bodies. Present in various body fluids and tissues, they act as messengers via the transfer of nucleic acids, proteins, and metabolites to recipient cells. To date, studies have revealed the different roles of extracellular vesicles in physiological or pathological processes, as well as applications in disease diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment. The importance and tissue specificity of the dental and maxillofacial tissues indicate that extracellular vesicles derived from this region are promising for further research. This paper reviews the published data on extracellular vesicles derived from cells, body fluids, and tissues in oral and maxillofacial regions, summarizes the latest advances in extracellular vesicles from extensive sources, and concludes with a focus on the current research progress and application prospects of engineered exosomes in oral science.
口腔颌面部是一个由多种组织类型组成的高度复杂区域，承担着人体的多种重要功能。该区域的疾病给诊断和治疗带来了重大挑战；因此，探索早期诊断、靶向治疗和组织重建的新策略是改善患者预后和生活质量的关键。细胞外囊泡是大多数细胞类型分泌的一组异质性脂质双分子层膜结构，包括外泌体、微囊泡和凋亡小体。它们存在于各种体液和组织中，通过向受体细胞传递核酸、蛋白质和代谢物来充当信使。迄今为止，研究已经揭示了细胞外囊泡在生理或病理过程中的不同作用，以及在疾病诊断、预后和治疗中的应用。口腔颌面部组织的重要性和组织特异性表明，源自该区域的细胞外囊泡具有进一步研究的潜力。本文综述了关于口腔颌面部区域细胞、体液和组织来源的细胞外囊泡的已发表数据，总结了广泛来源的细胞外囊泡的最新进展，并重点介绍了工程化外泌体在口腔科学中的当前研究进展和应用前景。
