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Updated: Apr 1, 2026

Isolation and Characterization of Extracellular Vesicles from Adult Schistosoma japonicum
Published on: May 22, 2018
Exosomes and Other Extracellular Vesicles: The New Communicators in Parasite Infections
Gillian Coakley1, Rick M Maizels1, Amy H Buck1
1Institute of Immunology and Infection Research, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH9 3FL, UK; Centre for Immunity, Infection, and Evolution, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH9 3FL, UK.
Abstract:
Extracellular vesicles (EVs) have emerged as a ubiquitous mechanism for transferring information between cells and organisms across all three kingdoms of life. In addition to their roles in normal physiology, vesicles also transport molecules from pathogens to hosts and can spread antigens as well as infectious agents. Although initially described in the host-pathogen context for their functions in immune surveillance, vesicles enable multiple modes of communication by, and between, parasites. Here we review the literature demonstrating that EVs are secreted by intracellular and extracellular eukaryotic parasites, as well as their hosts, and detail the functional properties of these vesicles in maturation, pathogenicity and survival. We further describe the prospects for targeting or exploiting these complexes in therapeutic and vaccine strategies.
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