The Role of Extracellular Vesicles in Cell Death and Inflammation

Dear Colleagues,

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are nanometer (nm)-scaled, membrane-bound particles that are released into circulation by most known mammalian cells. The term ‘extracellular vesicles’ is an umbrella term used to describe lipid-bound spherical particles of varied diameters which include: a) microvesicles (10–1000 nm), b) exosome (30–150 nm) and c) apoptotic bodies (50–5000 nm). Additionally, they are categorized based on their cellular or tissue source of origin. Though EVs were initially thought of as carriers of cellular waste products, a couple decades worth of research has demonstrated that they are capable of carrying signaling molecules that bring about cell-to-cell communication thus proposing a more sophisticated role for EVs. Recently, they have been touted as carriers of biomarkers to identify potential diseases. Not to mention, they continue to be characterized and assigned novel roles as we learn more about these EVs.

The significance of EVs in neurological disorders is a rapidly emerging field where research has been conducted to identify them as disease promoters and as biomarkers carrying diagnostic potential. For this Special Issue, we invite reviews or original research articles that describe the roles of EVs under normal and pathophysiological brain diseases. We will also accept articles addressing the significance of EVs in neurological inflammation and apoptosis.

Dr. Akshata Naik
Guest Editor

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