Search for Articles:
Title / Keyword
Author / Affiliation / Email
Journal
Article Type
 
 
Advanced Search
 
Section
Special Issue
Volume
Issue
Number
Page
 
10.5
5.2
Journals
Cells
Special Issues
Research on Extracellular Vesicles in Health and Disease
share announcement

Research on Extracellular Vesicles in Health and Disease

A special issue of Cells (ISSN 2073-4409).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 15 September 2026 | Viewed by 2856

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Maria Concetta Cufaro

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Analytical Biochemistry and Proteomics Laboratory, Center for Advanced Studies and Technology (CAST), University "G. d'Annunzio" of Chieti, Pescara, Italy
Interests: extracellular vesicles; biomarker analysis; proteomics; translational medicine

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Since Peter Wolf’s description of “platelet dust” in 1967, an extraordinary and long journey has been taken to define Extracellular Vesicles (EVs). From the early generic terms “microparticles” (MPs) or “microvesicles”, the International Society for Extracellular Vesicles (ISEV) has provided a precise classification and nomenclature. Nowadays, EVs’ molecular characterization (proteins, lipids, mithocondrial DNA, and miRNA) is a hot topic due to their emerging role as promising tools for providing information on pathogenic events and response to treatments in several clinical conditions. Circulating EVs play a crucial role, acting as mediators at both molecular and cellular levels; thus they could be considered a powerful, non-invasive “liquid biopsy” and a molecular magnifying glass for pathophysiological conditions. In this contest, EV isolation and characterization from cell lines and biological fluids remains a very challenging task for scientists to unravel novel mechanisms in cell-to-cell communication.

This Special Issue warmly invites original research articles and comprehensive review papers highlighting EVs’ involvment in health and disease conditions. We aim to explore their promising  potential applications in biomarker discovery, therapeutic treatment, and translational medicine, emphasizing the importance of a “multidisciplinarity” approach for EV characterization that will open new frontiers in biomedical research and EV clinical application.

Dr. Maria Concetta Cufaro
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Cells is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • extracellular vesicles
  • molecular mechanism
  • biomarker discovery
  • therapeutics
  • translational medicine
  • proteins
  • DNA and RNA

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

  • Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • Reprint: MDPI Books provides the opportunity to republish successful Special Issues in book format, both online and in print.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (3 papers)

Download All Papers
Order results
Result details
Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

21 pages, 3993 KB  
Article
Good Manufacturing Practice-Derived Human Liver Stem Cell Extracellular Vesicles Attenuate Liver Fibrosis In Vivo
by Elena Ceccotti, Veronica Dimuccio, Chiara Pasquino, Massimo Cedrino, Maria Beatriz Herrera Sanchez, Cristina Grange, Federico Figliolini, Giorgio Nicolò, Federica Antico, Selene Limoncelli, Giulio Mengozzi, Giulia Gioiello, Marta Tapparo, Fabio Cattelino, Renato Romagnoli, Giovanni Camussi, Valentina Fonsato and Stefania Bruno
Cells 2026, 15(8), 661; https://doi.org/10.3390/cells15080661 - 9 Apr 2026
Viewed by 357
Abstract
Human liver stem cells (HLSCs) are a mesenchymal stromal cell (MSC)-like population isolated from adult liver biopsies. HLSCs share key characteristics with MSCs, including phenotype and differentiation capabilities. Previous studies have demonstrated that HLSCs promote regeneration in different experimental models of acute and [...] Read more.
Human liver stem cells (HLSCs) are a mesenchymal stromal cell (MSC)-like population isolated from adult liver biopsies. HLSCs share key characteristics with MSCs, including phenotype and differentiation capabilities. Previous studies have demonstrated that HLSCs promote regeneration in different experimental models of acute and chronic tissue injury and that HLSC-derived extracellular vesicles (HLSC-EVs) recapitulate the therapeutic effects of the cells of origin. This study aimed to determine whether HLSC-EVs, obtained and characterized under good manufacturing practice (GMP) conditions, can influence the progression of liver fibrosis in vivo. The EV production process was carried out under GMP conditions to generate batches of HLSC-EVs by tangential flow filtration. To assess their therapeutic potential, an in vivo model of hepatic fibrosis was established through administration of thioacetamide (TAA). In TAA-treated mice, EV administrations attenuated fibrosis progression. Molecular analyses showed a significant reduction in the expression levels of key pro-fibrotic genes. At the functional level, EV administration resulted in a significant reduction in plasma alanine aminotransferase levels and an increase in albumin levels, indicating improved liver function. These data indicate that HLSC-EVs, produced under GMP conditions, display antifibrotic effects in a chronic liver disease model, leading to improved liver function and histology. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Research on Extracellular Vesicles in Health and Disease)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

27 pages, 3750 KB  
Article
SMR Peptide Modulates Tumor-Derived Extracellular Vesicles microRNA and Inflammatory Transcript Signatures in TNBC
by Ming-Bo Huang, Fengxia Yan, Uswa Jadoon, Jennifer Y. Wu, Dara Brena, Erica L. Johnson, Jonathan Stiles, Lily Yang, Brian M. Rivers and Vincent C. Bond
Cells 2026, 15(6), 550; https://doi.org/10.3390/cells15060550 - 19 Mar 2026
Viewed by 490
Abstract
Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is an aggressive subtype lacking targeted therapies and characterized by pronounced heterogeneity and widespread dysregulation of microRNAs (miRNAs) that influence epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and metastasis. Tumor-derived extracellular vesicles (tEVs) further contribute to TNBC progression by transporting oncogenic cargo that [...] Read more.
Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is an aggressive subtype lacking targeted therapies and characterized by pronounced heterogeneity and widespread dysregulation of microRNAs (miRNAs) that influence epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and metastasis. Tumor-derived extracellular vesicles (tEVs) further contribute to TNBC progression by transporting oncogenic cargo that can enhance pro-inflammatory signaling. The synthetic SMRwt peptide has been suggested to modulate oncogenic pathways; however, its effects on EV miRNA composition and inflammatory transcript profiles in TNBC remain unclear. Here, we investigated whether SMRwt alters tEV-associated miRNAs and cytokine transcript signatures relevant to EMT and inflammasome-linked pathways. Extracellular vesicles were isolated from SMR-treated and untreated MDA-MB-231 cells, followed by nanoparticle tracking analysis and small RNA sequencing. SMRwt treatment enriched 11 tumor-suppressive miRNAs (including Let-7a-5p, Let-7b-5p, miR-24-3p, miR-26b-5p, miR-92a-3p, miR-93-5p, and miR-496) previously associated with the regulation of proliferation, EMT, migration, and metastasis. We also observed modest, non-significant decreases (1.01–1.27-fold) in oncogenic miR-1200, miR-374a-5p, and miR-937-3p, which have been implicated in the progression of breast, lung, and bone malignancies. Complementary transcriptomic profiling using the NanoString nCounter Breast Cancer 360 Gene Expression Panel (NanoString Technologies, Inc., Seattle, CA, USA) demonstrated reduced expression of inflammasome-associated cytokines in TNBC cells relative to non-tumorigenic controls, including a log2 fold change of −1.15 for IL 1β (MDA-MB-231 vs. MCF10A). These transcript-level changes suggest potential modulation. Additionally, SMRwt suppresses ASC-mediated caspase-1 activation and reduces IL-1β secretion, thereby inhibiting NLRP3 inflammasome signaling. Therefore, we infer that SMRwt simultaneously restores tumor-suppressive miRNA networks and suppresses inflammasome-driven inflammation, supporting its potential as a dual-target therapeutic strategy for TNBC. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Research on Extracellular Vesicles in Health and Disease)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

13 pages, 986 KB  
Article
WHITE MATTER MATTERS: New Approach to the Brain’s Hidden Half Using Circulating Oligodendrocyte-Derived Extracellular Vesicles
by Masato Mitsuhashi, Dennis Van Epps, Haiping Sun, Li Xing, Keisuke Kawata, Viviana Jimenez, Vernon B. Williams, Cina Sasannejad, Michael L. James, Matthew A. Edwardson and Takuya Murata
Cells 2025, 14(22), 1771; https://doi.org/10.3390/cells14221771 - 12 Nov 2025
Viewed by 1527
Abstract
White matter, comprising 60% of the human brain, is formed by axonal fibers supported by oligodendrocytes. It is essential for brain communication, yet damage can accumulate silently leading to severe neurological problems. Current diagnostics detect changes only after symptoms appear. To enable earlier [...] Read more.
White matter, comprising 60% of the human brain, is formed by axonal fibers supported by oligodendrocytes. It is essential for brain communication, yet damage can accumulate silently leading to severe neurological problems. Current diagnostics detect changes only after symptoms appear. To enable earlier detection damage, we developed a blood test monitoring changes in oligodendrocyte-derived extracellular vesicles (ODEs) released from the brain into circulation. After validating the assay, we have shown that ODE levels vary from different individuals. However, ODE levels remain stable under mild head impacts in soccer heading practice (n = 15) and boxing/mixed martial arts (n = 10), whereas change markedly following neurological insults such as hemorrhagic (n = 7) and ischemic stroke (n = 14), or gynecological cancer after chemotherapy (n = 11). ODE measurement can potentially provide a minimally invasive window into white matter health and support early diagnosis, personalized assessment, and new insights into human brain biology. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Research on Extracellular Vesicles in Health and Disease)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:
 
Displaying articles 1-3
Back to TopTop