Trends in the biological functions and medical applications of extracellular vesicles and analogues

• Main Authors: Yan Zhao (Author), Xiaolu Li (Author), Wenbo Zhang (Author), Lanlan Yu (Author), Yang Wang (Author), Zhun Deng (Author), Mingwei Liu (Author), Shanshan Mo (Author), Ruonan Wang (Author), Jinming Zhao (Author), Shuli Liu (Author), Yun Hao (Author), Xiangdong Wang (Author), Tianjiao Ji (Author), Luo Zhang (Author), Chenxuan Wang (Author)
• Format: Book
• Published: Elsevier, 2021-08-01T00:00:00Z.
• Subjects: article
• Online Access: Connect to this object online.

Summary

Natural extracellular vesicles (EVs) play important roles in many life processes such as in the intermolecular transfer of substances and genetic information exchanges. Investigating the origins and working mechanisms of natural EVs may provide an understanding of life activities, especially regarding the occurrence and development of diseases. Additionally, due to their vesicular structure, EVs (in small molecules, nucleic acids, proteins, etc.) could act as efficient drug-delivery carriers. Herein, we describe the sources and biological functions of various EVs, summarize the roles of EVs in disease diagnosis and treatment, and review the application of EVs as drug-delivery carriers. We also assess the challenges and perspectives of EVs in biomedical applications.

Item Description

2211-3835
10.1016/j.apsb.2021.03.012