Intercellular communication is essential for regulating immunity and extracellular vesicles (EVs) are emerging as key mediators of this process. EVs like exosomes, microvesicles and apoptotic bodies are membrane-bound vesicles that can be released by both immune and non-immune cells. Although different types of EVs vary greatly in size (30 nm to 5 µm in diameter) and their mechanism of formation, it is now well established that the cellular contents in/on EVs (e.g. antigens, cytokines, membrane proteins and microRNAs) can regulate a variety of immune responses including antigen presentation, immune activation and suppression. Besides mammalian cells, bacteria, fungi and parasites can also release EVs to modulate the host immune response.
The field of EVs is a rapidly growing area of research, with the identification of new types of EVs, expansion on the cell types or organisms that could release EVs and their functions, as well as the development of novel approaches to study EVs. This Research Topic will give a comprehensive overview of the cutting-edge discoveries in this field. We seek articles that address, but are not limited to, the following topics:
1. Immunoregulatory properties of EVs released from both immune and non-immune cells.
2. EVs released by bacteria, fungi and parasites, and their effects on the immune response.
3. State-of-the-art methods for studying EVs in immune regulation.
We welcome researchers to submit Original Research, Review, Opinion and Methods articles focusing on these topics.
Intercellular communication is essential for regulating immunity and extracellular vesicles (EVs) are emerging as key mediators of this process. EVs like exosomes, microvesicles and apoptotic bodies are membrane-bound vesicles that can be released by both immune and non-immune cells. Although different types of EVs vary greatly in size (30 nm to 5 µm in diameter) and their mechanism of formation, it is now well established that the cellular contents in/on EVs (e.g. antigens, cytokines, membrane proteins and microRNAs) can regulate a variety of immune responses including antigen presentation, immune activation and suppression. Besides mammalian cells, bacteria, fungi and parasites can also release EVs to modulate the host immune response.
The field of EVs is a rapidly growing area of research, with the identification of new types of EVs, expansion on the cell types or organisms that could release EVs and their functions, as well as the development of novel approaches to study EVs. This Research Topic will give a comprehensive overview of the cutting-edge discoveries in this field. We seek articles that address, but are not limited to, the following topics:
1. Immunoregulatory properties of EVs released from both immune and non-immune cells.
2. EVs released by bacteria, fungi and parasites, and their effects on the immune response.
3. State-of-the-art methods for studying EVs in immune regulation.
We welcome researchers to submit Original Research, Review, Opinion and Methods articles focusing on these topics.
