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Updated: Jul 18, 2025

Characterization of Immune Cell-derived Extracellular Vesicles and Studying Functional Impact on Cell Environment
Published on: June 2, 2020
Extracellular vesicles as a novel mediator of interkingdom communication
Jumin Huang1, Xuanrun Wang1, Ziming Wang1
1Cancer Centre, Faculty of Health Sciences, Universty of Macau, Macao Special Administrative Region of China; MOE Frontiers Science Centre for Precision Oncology, University of Macau, Macao Special Administrative Region of China.
Abstract:
Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are nanosized lipid bilayer-delimited particles secreted from almost all types of cells including bacteria, mammals and plants, and are presumed to be mediators of intercellular communication. Bacterial extracellular vesicles (BEVs) are nanoparticles with diverse diameters, ranging from 20 to 400 nm. BEVs are composed of soluble microbial metabolites, including nucleic acid, proteins, lipoglycans, and short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs). In addition, EVs may contain quorum sensing peptides that are endowed with the ability to protect bacteria against bacteriophages, form and maintain bacterial communities, and modulate the host immune system. BEVs are potentially promising therapeutic modalities for use in vaccine development, cancer immunotherapy regimens, and drug delivery cargos. Plant-derived EVs (PEVs), such as EVs derived from herbal medicines, can be absorbed by the gut microbiota and influence the composition and homeostasis of gut microbiota. This review highlights the roles of BEVs and PEVs in bacterial and plant physiology and discusses crosstalk among gut bacteria, host metabolism and herbal medicine. In summary, EVs represent crucial communication messengers in the gut microbiota, with potential therapeutic value in the delivery of herbal medicines.
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