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Circulating microparticles: square the circle
Natasha S Barteneva1, Elizaveta Fasler-Kan, Michael Bernimoulin
1Program in Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, D-249, 200 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA. Natasha.Barteneva@childrens.harvard.edu
Background:
The present review summarizes current knowledge about microparticles (MPs) and provides a systematic overview of last 20 years of research on circulating MPs, with particular focus on their clinical relevance.
Results:
MPs are a heterogeneous population of cell-derived vesicles, with sizes ranging between 50 and 1000 nm. MPs are capable of transferring peptides, proteins, lipid components, microRNA, mRNA, and DNA from one cell to another without direct cell-to-cell contact. Growing evidence suggests that MPs present in peripheral blood and body fluids contribute to the development and progression of cancer, and are of pathophysiological relevance for autoimmune, inflammatory, infectious, cardiovascular, hematological, and other diseases. MPs have large diagnostic potential as biomarkers; however, due to current technological limitations in purification of MPs and an absence of standardized methods of MP detection, challenges remain in validating the potential of MPs as a non-invasive and early diagnostic platform.
Conclusions:
Improvements in the effective deciphering of MP molecular signatures will be critical not only for diagnostics, but also for the evaluation of treatment regimens and predicting disease outcomes.
Insights
Microparticles (MPs), cell-derived vesicles, transfer molecules between cells and are implicated in various diseases. Further research is needed to overcome technological challenges for their use as diagnostic biomarkers.
Area of Science:
- Biomedical research
- Cell biology
- Molecular diagnostics
Background:
- Microparticles (MPs) are cell-derived vesicles (50-1000 nm) involved in intercellular communication.
- MPs transfer various biomolecules, including peptides, proteins, lipids, microRNA, mRNA, and DNA.
- MPs play a role in the development and progression of cancer and other diseases.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review current knowledge on circulating microparticles (MPs).
- To provide a systematic overview of research on MPs over the past 20 years.
- To highlight the clinical relevance and diagnostic potential of MPs.
Main Methods:
- Systematic literature review of research on circulating microparticles.
- Analysis of studies focusing on the clinical relevance of MPs.
- Evaluation of current technological limitations in MP purification and detection.
Main Results:
- MPs are heterogeneous vesicles involved in intercellular molecular transfer.
- Circulating MPs are implicated in cancer, autoimmune, inflammatory, infectious, and cardiovascular diseases.
- MPs show promise as diagnostic biomarkers, but standardization is lacking.
Conclusions:
- Deciphering MP molecular signatures is crucial for diagnostics.
- Understanding MPs can aid in evaluating treatment efficacy.
- Improved MP analysis may lead to better disease outcome prediction.
