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Extracellular vesicles: biology and emerging therapeutic opportunities

Nature Reviews Drug Discovery volume 12, pages 347–357 (2013)Cite this article

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Abstract

Within the past decade, extracellular vesicles have emerged as important mediators of intercellular communication, being involved in the transmission of biological signals between cells in both prokaryotes and higher eukaryotes to regulate a diverse range of biological processes. In addition, pathophysiological roles for extracellular vesicles are beginning to be recognized in diseases including cancer, infectious diseases and neurodegenerative disorders, highlighting potential novel targets for therapeutic intervention. Moreover, both unmodified and engineered extracellular vesicles are likely to have applications in macromolecular drug delivery. Here, we review recent progress in understanding extracellular vesicle biology and the role of extracellular vesicles in disease, discuss emerging therapeutic opportunities and consider the associated challenges.

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Figure 1: Biogenesis of extracellular vesicles and their interactions with recipient cells.
Figure 2: Roles of extracellular vesicles in normal physiology and disease pathogenesis.
Figure 3: Therapeutic targeting and exploitation of extracellular vesicles.

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Acknowledgements

S.E.A. is supported by a postdoctoral research fellowship from the Swedish Society of Medical Research (SSMF) and the Swedish Medical Research Council (VR-med unga forskare). I.M. is supported by a Postdoctoral MOBILITAS Fellowship of the Estonian Science Foundation.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Imre Mäger and Matthew J. A. Wood are at the Department of Physiology, Samir EL Andaloussi, Anatomy and Genetics, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3QX, UK.,

    Samir EL Andaloussi, Imre Mäger & Matthew J. A. Wood

  2. Xandra O. Breakefield is at the Massachusetts General Hospital, Neurogenetics Unit, Charlestown, Massachusetts 2129, USA.,

    Xandra O. Breakefield

  3. Samir EL Andaloussi is also at the Department of Laboratory Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Hälsov. 7, Solna SE-141 86, Sweden.,

    Samir EL Andaloussi

  4. Imre Mäger is also at the Institute of Technology, University of Tartu, Nooruse 1, 50411 Tartu, Estonia.,

    Imre Mäger

Authors
  1. Samir EL Andaloussi
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  2. Imre Mäger
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  3. Xandra O. Breakefield
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  4. Matthew J. A. Wood
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Matthew J. A. Wood.

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Competing interests

Matthew J. A. Wood and Samir EL Andaloussi have filed patent applications in relation to extracellular vesicles. Patents filed are as follows: WO2010/119256, priority date April 2009; UK1121070.5 and UK1121069.7, filed December 2011.

Xandra O. Breakefield is on the Scientific Advisory Board for Exosome Diagnostics.

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EL Andaloussi, S., Mäger, I., Breakefield, X. et al. Extracellular vesicles: biology and emerging therapeutic opportunities. Nat Rev Drug Discov 12, 347–357 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1038/nrd3978

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