Exosomes are a heterogenous group of nano-sized extracellular vesicle (EVs) ranging from 30 to 150 nm. Originating from the endosomal pathway, exosomes contain membrane proteins, cytosolic and nuclear proteins, extracellular matrix proteins, metabolites and nucleic acids including mRNA, miRNA, non-coding RNA and DNA.
Exosomes play significant roles in intercellular communications including cells of the immune system, and regulate immune cell functions in various physiological and pathological conditions such as inflammation, autoimmune diseases and cancer.
Additionally, exosomes are easily detectable and isolated from biofluids, making exosomes and their varied bioactive cargos ideal diagnostic biomarkers for a variety of diseases.
Exosomes have a similar membrane composition to the cells from which they are secreted, are biostable in vitro and in vivo, and capable of targeting tissues and penetrating biological barrier (e.g., the Blood Brain Barrier). These characteristics, together with the potential for large scale manufacturing, support the clinical application of exosomes as either cell-free therapeutic agents or nanoparticle vehicles for delivery of genetic materials and drugs to treat a wide range of diseases impacted by the immune system.
For instance, exosome-based therapeutics have garnered much interest following proof-of-concept studies on dendritic cell (DC)-derived exosomes for cancer immunotherapy and targeted RNAi (siRNA and miRNAs) delivery. In fact, a casual search will find a large number of human clinical trials testing exosomes/EVs as therapeutics for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV2).
We invite researchers to contribute either primary research or review articles on all aspects regarding the immunological function and diagnostic and therapeutic applications of exosomes.
