Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Shizhen Shen, Zhangjin Shen, Conghui Wang, Xiaodong Wu, Lingfang Wang, Lele Ye, Songfa Zhang, Xiaodong Cheng
Summary: In this study, a method for extracting extracellular vesicles (EVs) from epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) tissues was optimized to investigate the effect of cryopreservation on the phenotypes, contents, and biological functions of the extracted EVs. The results showed that cryopreservation affected the yield and distribution of EVs, but not their morphology or particle mass ratio. The storage of tissues at -80°C increased both small and large EV yields, while the storage of lysates at -80°C decreased large EV yield and increased small EV yield. The cryopreserved EOC tissue retained a high percentage of proteins and miRNAs, and the extracted EVs could promote angiogenesis and invasive migration ability in human endothelial cells. This suggests that cryopreserved EOC tissue has clinical value for studying tissue-derived EVs, especially those related to EV proteins.
Review
Cell Biology
Sarah Beck, Bernhard Hochreiter, Johannes A. Schmid
Summary: Extracellular vesicles (EVs) play crucial roles in intercellular communication by transferring nucleotides and proteins, and are associated with diseases such as cancer, inflammation, and thrombosis. They have the potential to serve as biomarkers for diagnosis and as vehicles for therapeutics in the future.
FRONTIERS IN CELL AND DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2022)
Review
Oncology
Akbar Lulu Marzan, Sarah Elizabeth Stewart
Summary: Pancreatic cancer is a highly lethal cancer with a 5-year survival rate of less than 10%, largely due to factors such as inadequate diagnostics, rapid metastasis, and chemoresistance. Research on extracellular vesicles in pancreatic cancer progression and chemoresistance is crucial for identifying new treatment options. Accumulating evidence suggests that extracellular vesicles may serve as biomarkers for early detection and as potential therapeutic targets or drug delivery tools for the treatment of pancreatic cancer.
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Ines Dinis Aires, Teresa Ribeiro-Rodrigues, Raquel Boia, Magda Ferreira-Rodrigues, Henrique Girao, Antonio Francisco Ambrosio, Ana Raquel Santiago
Summary: Microglial cells are important for maintaining neuronal homeostasis in the central nervous system, while chronic neuroinflammation plays a role in neurodegenerative diseases. Extracellular vesicles, such as apoptotic bodies, microvesicles, and exosomes, are involved in intercellular communication and may regulate microglial cell function. Understanding the role of microglial extracellular vesicles could provide insights into the mechanisms underlying neurodegeneration.
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Katarzyna Horodecka, Markus Duchler
Summary: The establishment of CRISPR/Cas9 technology has revolutionized gene editing and therapeutic interventions, but challenges remain in effectively delivering components to living organisms. Utilizing extracellular vesicles as delivery devices may help overcome limitations and improve the clinical applications of this technology.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2021)
Review
Oncology
Evelyn Lattmann, Mitchell P. Levesque
Summary: Melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer, can be diagnosed and treated using extracellular vesicles as biomarkers, which also reveal important signaling pathways for cancer progression.
Review
Immunology
Chang Tian, Ke Wang, Min Zhao, Shan Cong, Xin Di, Ranwei Li
Summary: Sepsis, a life-threatening condition caused by a dysregulated host response to infection, is a major cause of mortality worldwide. Early diagnosis and effective treatment of sepsis remain challenging due to its rapid progression and heterogeneity among individuals. This review highlights the role of extracellular vesicles (EVs) in sepsis, including their impact on pathological processes, organ dysfunction, and potential applications such as early diagnosis, dynamic monitoring, precision therapies, and vaccine platforms.
FRONTIERS IN CELLULAR AND INFECTION MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Marc Liebana-Jordan, Bruno Brotons, Juan Manuel Falcon-Perez, Esperanza Gonzalez
Summary: Extracellular vesicles play a crucial role in intercellular communication, especially in fungi, by maintaining cell structure, defending against the environment, and potentially impacting host interactions and disease outcomes.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2021)
Review
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Fei Teng, Martin Fussenegger
Summary: Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are nano-sized secreted vesicles containing various biomolecules, which have low immunogenicity and can functionally modify recipient cells by transferring bioactive constituents. Therefore, they are considered as an excellent candidate for the next generation drug delivery system.
Review
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Yujia Hao, Haoyue Song, Zilan Zhou, Xiaohang Chen, Huifei Li, Yuan Zhang, Jie Wang, Xiuyun Ren, Xing Wang
Summary: Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are important vehicles for intercellular communication, with different physiological and pathological effects, and can be used as biological therapeutic agents. In some cases, the release of EVs can exacerbate disease progression, while inhibition may delay disease development.
JOURNAL OF CONTROLLED RELEASE
(2021)
Review
Oncology
Francesco Cappello, Stefano Fais
Summary: This paper introduces the field of exosomology as a hot topic in clinical and translational research in oncology. Exosomes, nanovesicular tools, have shown promising results for liquid biopsy and potential in cancer diagnosis and treatment. Despite the lack of clinical investigations, the existing studies have provided encouraging results, supporting the clinical relevance of exosomes as new tumor biomarkers. The paper emphasizes the need for a strategic collaboration between basic scientists and clinical oncologists to further explore the significance of exosomes in cancer research.
SEMINARS IN CANCER BIOLOGY
(2022)
Review
Cell Biology
Amit Chatterjee, Ruchira Singh
Summary: Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are secreted membrane vesicles that come in various sizes, including exosomes (-30-200 nm) and microvesicles (MVs) that are around 100-1,000 nm in size. These EVs have been found to play a crucial role in autocrine, paracrine, and endocrine signaling, and are associated with a range of human disorders, including retinal degenerative diseases such as age related macular degeneration (AMD) and diabetic retinopathy (DR). In this review, the authors provide an overview of the current understanding of the role of EVs in retinal physiology and specifically focus on how disease-related changes in EVs can impact specific retinal diseases. Additionally, they discuss the potential of EVs in diagnostic and therapeutic strategies for targeting retinal diseases.
FRONTIERS IN CELL AND DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Oncology
Ilaria Casari, Justin Andrew Howard, Eunice Eugenia Robless, Marco Falasca
Summary: Pancreatic cancer, as one of the most lethal types of cancer, is difficult to diagnose and treat in time. The appearance of metastasis is dreaded by every cancer patient.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Bryan John Abel Magoling, Anthony Yan-Tang Wu, Yen-Ju Chen, Wendy Wan-Ting Wong, Steven Ting-Yu Chuo, Hsi-Chien Huang, Yun-Chieh Sung, Hsin Tzu Hsieh, Poya Huang, Kang-Zhang Lee, Kuan-Wei Huang, Ruey-Hwa Chen, Yunching Chen, Charles Pin-Kuang Lai
Summary: Extracellular vesicles (EVs), including small EVs (sEVs, exosomes) and medium to large EVs (bEVs, microvesicles), play important roles in intercellular communication in breast cancer. This study identifies distinct properties and functions of bEVs and sEVs in breast cancer, showing that bEVs are released in a higher ratio in aggressive triple-negative breast cancer subtype. Both bEVs and sEVs promote tumor growth in a murine model, and they share common tumor-progression-associated EV surface membrane proteins. Depletion of these proteins reduces the protumorigenic potential of EVs. This study highlights the significance of bEVs in breast cancer and suggests their potential diagnostic and therapeutic applications.
ADVANCED MATERIALS
(2023)
Review
Cell Biology
Zhenzhen Mo, Jia Yang Alex Cheong, Lirong Xiang, Minh T. N. Le, Andrew Grimson, Daniel Xin Zhang
Summary: Metastasis, the dissemination of primary tumor cells, is a major cause of cancer-related deaths. Metastatic organotropism, the specific distribution pattern of distant metastasis, is influenced by various factors. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) play a crucial role in organ-specific metastasis, carrying bioactive cargo that can modulate the pre-metastatic niche and influencing diagnostic and prognostic values. Counteracting EV functions could be a novel therapeutic strategy to target metastasis. More research is needed to understand the mechanisms of EVs in organ-specific metastasis for clinical translation.
CELL PROLIFERATION
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Mojca Pavlin, Jasna Lojk, Klemen Strojan, Iva Hafner-Bratkovic, Roman Jerala, Adrijana Leonardi, Igor Krizaj, Natasa Drnovsek, Sasa Novak, Peter Veranic, Vladimir Bostjan Bregar
Summary: This study correlates the physicochemical properties and protein corona of nanoparticles with the response of immune cells, and investigates their relationship with toxicological endpoints. The results reveal that different engineered nanoparticles can induce moderate toxicity and transient inflammatory response, with a strong correlation between nanoparticle size and cytokine secretion. This study provides new insights into the understanding of the immune response to nanoparticles.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Oncology
Jernej Repas, Mateja Zupin, Maja Vodlan, Peter Veranic, Boris Gole, Uros Potocnik, Mojca Pavlin
Summary: The combination of metformin and 2-deoxy-D-glucose can increase mitochondrial mass in triple-negative breast cancer cells and reduce the levels of immune checkpoint protein PD-L1.
Article
Microbiology
Luka Predojevic, Darja Kese, Darja Zgur Bertok, Taja Zeleznik Ramuta, Peter Veranic, Mateja Erdani Kreft, Marjanca Starcic Erjavec
Summary: This study developed a biomimetic in vitro model based on normal porcine urothelial cells to investigate the pathogenesis of uropathogenic strains of E. coli. The model showed the ability to distinguish pathogenic from non-pathogenic E. coli strains and identify new potentially pathogenic strains.
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Dasa Zupancic, Peter Veranic
Summary: Nanodiamonds (NDs) are carbon nanomaterials with excellent properties, making them promising for biomedical applications. However, selectively targeting desired biomolecules within complex biological systems using NDs remains challenging. This review presents the synthesis, properties, and functionalization of NDs, as well as recent advances in their use for improving the treatment of bladder cancer and bacterial cystitis.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Grisa G. Princic, Tina Jarc, Katja Kristan, Mateja Erdani Kreft, Peter Veranic
Summary: Fluorescence microscopy is an important tool for biologists to study organelles and molecules in cells. This study examined the effects of different culture media on photobleaching and developed a new method to recover fluorescence. The results showed that culture media did not significantly affect GFP photobleaching. Additionally, a brief UV burst was able to restore a significant portion of the original fluorescence.
IMAGE ANALYSIS & STEREOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Immunology
Tadeja Kuret, Dominika Peskar, Mateja Erdani Kreft, Andreja Erman, Peter Veranic
Summary: Urothelial cells in IC/BPS show upregulation of proinflammatory mediators after TNF alpha stimulation, suggesting their active role in shaping the local immune response of the bladder. Our study provides insights into the phenotype and function of urothelial cells in an inflammatory environment and confirms the role of TNF alpha signaling in IC/BPS pathology.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Anna Romolo, Zala Jan, Apolonija Bedina Zavec, Matic Kisovec, Vesna Arrigler, Vesna Spasovski, Marjetka Podobnik, Ales Iglic, Gabriella Pocsfalvi, Ksenija Kogej, Veronika Kralj-Iglic
Summary: This study used interferometric light microscopy (ILM) to assess the number density and hydrodynamic radius (R-h) of small cellular particles (SCPs) from different sources. The results showed that ILM was a convenient method for evaluating SCPs in blood preparations, indicating its potential use in population and clinical studies.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Cell Biology
Natasa Resnik, Diana Baraga, Polona Glazar, Spela Jokhadar Zemljic, Jure Derganc, Kristina Sepcic, Peter Veranic, Mateja Erdani Kreft
Summary: This study analyzed the communication between urothelial cancer cells and normal cells through tunnelling nanotubes (TNTs). The TNTs formed by the cancer cells and normal cells showed significant differences in terms of number, length, diameter, lipid composition, and elastic properties. The presence of connexin 43 suggests a junctional connection and the involvement of tunnelling nanotubes in signal transduction.
FRONTIERS IN CELL AND DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Marko Jeran, Anna Romolo, Vesna Spasovski, Matej Hocevar, Urban Novak, Roman Stukelj, Vid Sustar, Matic Kisovec, Apolonija Bedina Zavec, Ksenija Kogej, Ales Iglic, Polonca Trebse, Veronika Kralj-Iglic
Summary: Small cellular particles (SCPs) were isolated and characterized from spruce needle homogenate. They were imaged by SEM and cryo TEM, assessed for their properties by ILM and FCM, and analyzed for their content using UV-vis spectroscopy and GC-MS. The results showed that the spruce needle homogenate contained vesicles and other small particles, with SCPs having a higher number density and smaller size. The SCPs also showed a decrease in phenolic content over time and terpene content was found in the pellet.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Tadeja Kuret, Mateja Erdani Kreft, Rok Romih, Peter Veranic
Summary: This study investigated the potential effect of cannabidiol (CBD) in alleviating the symptoms of interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome (IC/BPS). The results showed that CBD treatment significantly reduced inflammation and oxidative stress in urothelial cells, highlighting its potential therapeutic importance for IC/BPS.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Anastasija Panevska, Nastja Cegovnik, Klavdija Fortuna, Alen Vukovic, Maja Grundner, Spela Modic, Gregor Bajc, Matej Skocaj, Martina Mravinec Bohte, Lara Larisa Poposek, Primoz Zigon, Jaka Razinger, Peter Veranic, Natasa Resnik, Kristina Sepcic
Summary: OlyA6 protein binds to cholesterol-complexed sphingomyelin and can label lipid rafts. It forms pores in insect midgut cell membranes and acts as a potent bioinsecticide when combined with pleurotolysin B. A point mutation (E69A) enhances the interaction of OlyA6 with sphingomyelin and CPE, allowing recognition of these sphingolipids even in the absence of cholesterol. However, the mutation does not improve its membrane-permeabilizing activity after addition of pleurotolysin B.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Medicinal
Katarina Cerne, Nusa Kelhar, Natasa Resnik, Marusa Herzog, Lana Vodnik, Peter Veranic, Borut Kobal
Summary: Platinum-resistant high-grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSOC) is a fatal disease and new strategies to overcome platinum resistance are needed. Extracellular vesicles (EVs), especially EpCAM-specific EVs, show promise as potential biomarkers for predicting chemoresistance. EVs released from chemoresistant HGSOC cell lines demonstrated greater size heterogeneity, a higher proportion of medium/large EVs, and a higher number of released EpCAM-positive EVs. There was also a strong positive correlation between the concentration of EpCAM-positive EVs and the expression of cellular EpCAM. These findings may contribute to predicting platinum resistance in the future, but further validation in clinical samples is necessary.
Editorial Material
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Peter Veranic, Igor Krizaj
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Editorial Material
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Quazi T. H. Shubhra, Peter Veranic, Zhenming Wang
Review
Oncology
Giovanna L. Liguori, Veronika Kralj-Iglic
Summary: Cancer metastasis is responsible for 90% of cancer deaths worldwide. Current therapeutic approaches have limited efficiency, and there is a need for new strategies. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) play a crucial role in cell-cell communication and have an impact on cancer cell migration and metastasis.
