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Updated: Jul 5, 2025

An Optogenetic Method to Control and Analyze Gene Expression Patterns in Cell-to-cell Interactions
Published on: March 22, 2018
Versatile extracellular vesicle-mediated information transfer: intercellular synchronization of differentiation and
Tomohiro Minakawa1, Jun K Yamashita2
1Department of Cellular and Tissue Communication, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, 113-8655, Japan.
Abstract:
In recent years, extracellular vesicles (EVs) have attracted significant attention as carriers in intercellular communication. The vast array of information contained within EVs is critical for various cellular activities, such as proliferation and differentiation of multiple cell types. Moreover, EVs are being employed in disease diagnostics, implicated in disease etiology, and have shown promise in tissue repair. Recently, a phenomenon has been discovered in which cellular phenotypes, including the progression of differentiation, are synchronized among cells via EVs. This synchronization could be prevalent in widespread different situations in embryogenesis and tissue organization and maintenance. Given the increasing research on multi-cellular tissues and organoids, the role of EV-mediated intercellular communication has become increasingly crucial. This review begins with fundamental knowledge of EVs and then discusses recent findings, various modes of information transfer via EVs, and synchronization of cellular phenotypes.
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