Extracellular Vesicles in Aging and Age-Related Diseases. How Important Are They?

Abstract

Extracellular vesicles (EVs), lipid bilayer-bound particles secreted by cells, have attracted significant research attention for their roles in aging-related disorders, including cardiovascular disease, metabolic dysfunction, cancer, and neurodegeneration. Research shows that EV cargo and function are influenced by factors including age, disease state, exercise, nutrition and sleep, and they may modulate various aging-associated processes such as stem cell renewal, nutrient sensing, cell senescence, mitochondrial function, and insulin resistance. This perspective highlights, for a general audience, a selection of studies of EVs in aging and age-related diseases, and their diverse roles in organ crosstalk. While current evidence indicates that EVs play multiple roles in aging, there are numerous challenges including methodological challenges and limitations, heterogeneous reports of EV cargo, limited reproducibility, and apparent context-dependent effects of EVs and their cargo. Together, this limits the interpretation of these studies. This is proposed that EVs may act as fine-tuners of cellular communication within the broader aging-associated secretome and the importance of standardizing methods are emphasized. Last, future directions for EV research are suggested.