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Review
. 2024 Sep 23:119:e240073.
doi: 10.1590/0074-02760240073. eCollection 2024.

Overview of extracellular vesicles in pathogens with special focus on human extracellular protozoan parasites

Johan Alvarado-Ocampo  1 , Elizabeth Abrahams-Sandí  1   2 , Lissette Retana-Moreira  1   2
Affiliations
Review

Overview of extracellular vesicles in pathogens with special focus on human extracellular protozoan parasites

Johan Alvarado-Ocampo et al. Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz. .

Abstract

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are lipid-bilayered membrane-delimited particles secreted by almost any cell type, involved in different functions according to the cell of origin and its state. From these, cell to cell communication, pathogen-host interactions and modulation of the immune response have been widely studied. Moreover, these vesicles could be employed for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes, including infections produced by pathogens of diverse types; regarding parasites, the secretion, characterisation, and roles of EVs have been studied in particular cases. Moreover, the heterogeneity of EVs presents challenges at every stage of studies, which motivates research in this area. In this review, we summarise some aspects related to the secretion and roles of EVs from several groups of pathogens, with special focus on the most recent research regarding EVs secreted by extracellular protozoan parasites.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Figures

None
Explored general roles of extracellular vesicles (EVs) derived from extracellular protozoa in pathogenesis, parasite-parasite communication, and its relationship with immune effectors. (A) Entamoeba histolytica EVs are possible involved in en/excystment processes and have effects over neutrophils; (B) Giardia duodenalis EVs provoke alteration of Caco-2 cells tight junctions and enterobacteria, promote adhesion of the parasite and induce a proinflammatory outcome; (C) free living amoeba (i.e., Acanthamoeba sp., Naegleria fowleri) derived-EVs are uptaken by glial cells and other mammalian cells and are also associated with a proinflammatory chemokine/cytokine production; (D) Trichomonas vaginalis induce the production of nitric oxide (NO) in macrophages and stimulate adhesion of the parasites to ectocervical cells. Figure created with BioRender.com.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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