Extracellular Vesicles in Aging

Extracellular vesicles of varying size classes carry a sizable fraction of all cell signaling. These are membrane-wrapped collections of molecules, generated in various ways and under various circumstances by sources cells. When researchers discuss extracellular vesicles in the context of aging, this is really a discussion of cell signaling in general. In the context of aging, vesicles are perhaps a more interesting topic than cell signaling in general because they are readily harvested and delivered as a therapy. Initially, this is being used to recapitulate the effects of stem cell transplants, delivering vesicles harvested from stem cells in culture, but it is likely that there will be further, more engineered and specific vesicle-based therapies in the future. In recent decades, the concept of extracellular vesicles (EVs) has changed. When they were initially discovered, EVs were cellular dust; therefore, they did not have any functions; with time, this concept has changed and will probably continue being updated. Nowadays, EVs are considered critical mediators in physiological and pathophysiological processes. Therefore, this review summarizes the current knowledge on EVs from their discovery as cellular dust to their recognition as "very important particles" (VIPs) that mediate cell-cell communication and the current and newest isolation methods. Moreover, we describe the role of EVs in aging and age-related diseases and their potential use in the clinic as bio...
Source: Fight Aging! - Category: Research Authors: Tags: Daily News Source Type: blogs