Expert opinion on biological therapy
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Expert Opin Biol Ther · Jun 2012
Exosomal RNA as biomarkers and the therapeutic potential of exosome vectors.
Exosomes are nano-sized (40 - 100 nm), extracellular vesicles, of endosomal origin. They are released by cells and found in many body fluids, including plasma. Exosomes contain proteins, microRNAs (miRNAs), and messenger RNAs (mRNAs) that can be transferred between cells. The discovery that exosomes contain RNA, and that this encapsulated RNA could potentially be transferred over distances in vivo, reinforced the importance of exosomes in cell-to-cell communication. ⋯ The data reviewed here suggest that exosomal RNA has the potential to play an important role in the diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment of diseases in the future.