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Updated: Dec 5, 2025

Evaluation of the Storage Stability of Extracellular Vesicles
Published on: May 22, 2019
Emerging role of bacterial extracellular vesicles in cancer
Antonios Chronopoulos1, Raghu Kalluri2,3,4
1Department of Cancer Biology, Metastasis Research Center, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA.
Abstract:
Shedding of microbial extracellular vesicles constitutes a universal mechanism for inter-kingdom and intra-kingdom communication that is conserved among prokaryotic and eukaryotic microbes. In this review we delineate fundamental aspects of bacterial extracellular vesicles (BEVs) including their biogenesis, cargo composition, and interactions with host cells. We critically examine the evidence that BEVs from the host gut microbiome can enter the circulatory system to disseminate to distant organs and tissues. The potential involvement of BEVs in carcinogenesis is evaluated and future research ideas explored. We further discuss the potential of BEVs in microbiome-based liquid biopsies for cancer diagnostics and bioengineering strategies for cancer therapy.
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