REVIEW article
Front. Endocrinol.
Sec. Reproduction
Volume 16 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fendo.2025.1550068
Extracellular Vesicles in Reproductive Biology and Disorders: A Comprehensive Review
Provisionally accepted
- Weifang People's Hospital, Weifang, China
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Extracellular vesicles (EVs) facilitate intercellular communication and the conveyance of bioactive substances, including proteins, lipids, and nucleic acids. They play a significant role in various reproductive biological processes, including gametogenesis, fertilization, early embryo development, and implantation. Dysfunctional EV activity is associated with various reproductive diseases, such as polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), endometriosis, male infertility, and recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL). This review systematically examines and categorizes current knowledge on EV functions in reproductive biology and disorders, and their potential as diagnostic and therapeutic tools. A systematic literature search from 2000 to 2024 identified studies showing EVs' influence on gamete maturation, fertilization, embryonic development, and implantation. They also play a role in reproductive disorders by affecting insulin resistance, androgen production, inflammation, angiogenesis, sperm quality, and maternal-fetal immune tolerance. The review concludes that EVs are integral to reproductive health, with further research needed to understand their mechanisms and clinical potential.
Keywords: extracellular vesicles, sperm, oocyte, Fertility, embryos, Embryo Implantation, Reproductive disorders
Received: 22 Dec 2024; Accepted: 05 May 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Wang, Wang, Zhang, Sun, Yi, Han, Zhao, Zhang and Ma. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence:
Jinguang Wang, Weifang People's Hospital, Weifang, China
Yuhua Zhang, Weifang People's Hospital, Weifang, China
Huagang Ma, Weifang People's Hospital, Weifang, China
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