Microscopic messengers: Extracellular vesicles shaping gastrointestinal health and disease

TL;DR

This review explores how tiny extracellular vesicles from internal and external sources affect gut health and diseases like IBD.

Contribution

It synthesizes emerging roles of EVs from the pancreas, immune system, diet, and bacteria in gastrointestinal health and disease.

Findings

EVs from internal sources like the pancreas and immune system influence gut health and inflammation.

External EVs from diet and bacteria have anti-inflammatory and immune-modulatory effects.

EVs interact with intestinal epithelium and immune cells in both healthy and diseased states.

Abstract

The field of extracellular vesicles (EVs) is advancing rapidly, and this review aims to synthesize the latest research connected to EVs and the gastrointestinal tract. We will address new and emerging roles for EVs derived from internal sources such as the pancreas and immune system and how these miniature messengers alter organismal health or the inflammatory response within the GI tract. We will examine what is known about external EVs from dietary and bacterial sources and the immense anti‐inflammatory, immune‐modulatory, and proliferative potential within these nano‐sized information carriers. EV interactions with the intestinal and colonic epithelium and associated immune cells at homeostatic and disease states, such as necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) will also be covered. We will discuss how EVs are being leveraged as therapeutics or for drug delivery and conclude with a series of unanswered questions in the field.

The intestinal epithelium interacts with extracellular vesicles (EVs) from internal and external sources. EVs are double‐lipid membrane‐enclosed nanoparticles that carry biological information and are produced by a variety of cell types and sources. Given the barrier nature of the intestinal epithelium, it interacts with EVs from numerous internal and external sources, influencing health and disease states.

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