![Sample our Bioscience journals, sign in here to start your access, Latest two full volumes FREE to you for 14 days]({"type":"image" , "src" : "/sda/5925/TOC-Subject-Sample-2021-Bioscience.jpg"})
ABSTRACT
Tightly controlled communication among the various resident and recruited cells in the intestinal tissue is critical for maintaining tissue homeostasis, re-establishment of the barrier function and healing responses following injury. Emerging evidence convincingly implicates extracellular vesicles (EVs) in facilitating this important cell-to-cell crosstalk by transporting bioactive effectors and genetic information in healthy tissue and disease. While many aspects of EV biology, including release mechanisms, cargo packaging, and uptake by target cells are still not completely understood, EVs contribution to cellular signaling and function is apparent. Moreover, EV research has already sparked a clinical interest, as a potential diagnostic, prognostic and therapeutic tool. The current review will discuss the function of EVs originating from innate immune cells, namely, neutrophils, monocytes and macrophages, as well as intestinal epithelial cells in healthy tissue and inflammatory disorders of the intestinal tract. Our discussion will specifically emphasize the contribution of EVs to the regulation of vascular and epithelial barrier function in inflamed intestines, wound healing, as well as trafficking and activity of resident and recruited immune cells.
Disclosure of potential conflicts of interest
No potential conflicts of interest were disclosed.
Acknowledgments
We thank the Northwestern University Center for Advanced Microscopy core (supported by NCI CCSG P30 CA060553 awarded to the Robert H Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center) for the help with electron and confocal microscopy imaging of PMN-MPs.