Abstract
Renal fibrosis is a complex disorder characterized by the destruction of kidney parenchyma. There is currently no cure for this devastating condition. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are membranous vesicles released from cells in both physiological and diseased states. Given their fundamental role in transferring biomolecules to recipient cells and their ability to cross biological barriers, EVs have been widely investigated as potential cell-free therapeutic agents. In this review, we provide an overview of EVs, focusing on their functional role in renal fibrosis and signaling messengers responsible for EV-mediated crosstalk between various renal compartments. We explore recent findings regarding the renoprotective effect of EVs and their use as therapeutic agents in renal fibrosis. We also highlight advantages and future perspectives of the therapeutic applications of EVs in renal diseases.
Highlights
Renal fibrosis is the final manifestation of chronic kidney disease (CKD), characterized by progressive destruction of kidney parenchyma and the subsequent loss of renal function.Due to the complexity of this condition and the inability to establish a proper hierarchy of involved mechanisms during the development of renal fibrosis, there is currently no effective antifibrotic therapy in clinical use [1]
We summarize the current knowledge on the renoprotective role of extracellular vesicles (EVs) from diverse sources and their use as therapeutic agents in renal fibrosis, highlighting benefits and new perspectives of therapeutic applications of
tubular epithelial cells (TECs)-derived MVs carrying miR-21 after being taken by recipient TECs, triggered the activation of the PI3K-Akt pathway, and promoted epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) and progression of renal interstitial fibrosis [76,77]. Another piece of evidence on the role of proximal tubular epithelial cells (PTECs)-derived vesicles in promoting EMT of kidney epithelial cells is the paper of Qu et al [78], in which authors showed that MVs secreted from injured
Summary
Renal fibrosis is the final manifestation of chronic kidney disease (CKD), characterized by progressive destruction of kidney parenchyma and the subsequent loss of renal function. Among diverse approaches proposed as potential therapies for renal fibrosis, the use of extracellular vesicles (EVs) as a cell-free therapeutic approach has started to be extensively investigated. Apart from being active players in various biological processes [2,3], EVs have been identified as important means of communication alongside the nephron [4]. Owing to their versatile characteristics, EVs represent a potential basis for the development of novel therapies [5,6]. We summarize the current knowledge on the renoprotective role of EVs from diverse sources and their use as therapeutic agents in renal fibrosis, highlighting benefits and new perspectives of therapeutic applications of EVs in renal diseases
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