Liver and Biliary Tract Physiology/Pathophysiology: Extracellular vesicles in liver diseases

摘要

Maji S, Matsuda A, Yan IK, Parasramka M, Patel T. Extracellular vesicles in liver diseases. Am J Physiol Gastrointest Liver Physiol 312: G194-G200, 2017. First published December 30, 2016; doi:10.1152/ajpgi.00216.2016.—Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are membrane-bound vesicles that are released by cells into their extracellular environment, have selective enrichment of specific proteins and RNA, and can mediate intercellular communication. In this review we highlight recent observations of the role of EVs in liver injury, viral hepatitis, alcoholic or nonalcoholic liver disease, biliary tract disease, and liver cancers. Potential applications as markers of diseases or for therapeutic applications are outlined to emphasize the new opportunities that are arising from the study of EVs.