Exosomen - intercellulär signalbärare med framtidspotential. Kan ge nya diagnostiska och terapeutiska möjligheter
Sammanfattning
Small vesicles were first described in prostatic and seminal fluids more than 30 years ago [5]. They were called prostasomes and are members of the same family now called exosomes. All cells in the body can release extracellular vesicles that function as intercellular messengers. The smallest of these, exosomes, are produced by almost all types of cells in the body and exist in all body fluids. Exosomal signalling takes place in two different ways: either with a cargo of functional proteins and/or by transfection of functional RNA molecules from one cell to the cytoplasm of another, or by ligand-receptor mediated interactions between molecules of the exosome membrane and the cellular membrane of the target cell. The importance of exosomes both in health and disease is rapidly acknowledged and clinical applications in diagnosticts and therapy are under development. The content of proteins and nucleic acids of exosomes will soon be used as bio markers for different diseases such as cancer and cardiac disease. Clinical tests are ongoing where exosomes are used as natural vectors for cancer specific peptides in the treatment of cancer. Exosomes will most probably soon be used in therapy by using them as natural vectors for new RNA based therapies and also for follow up of therapy.