Extracellular Vesicle-Mediated Local and Systemic Communication in Metabolic Diseases
5 affiliations
- 1Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Center for Diabetes and Metabolism Research, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610044, China
- 2Department of Thoracic Surgery West China Biomedical Big Data Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610044, China
- 3Department of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, 43180 Mölndal, Sweden
- 4Department of Neuroscience, Physiology and Pharmacology, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK
- 5Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Department of Biotherapy, Center for Diabetes and Metabolism Research, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, No. 37, Guoxue Road, Chengdu 610044, China
Abstract
Extracellular vesicles (EVs) have emerged as key mediators of intercellular communication, shuttling bioactive proteins, lipids, and nucleic acids between organs to maintain metabolic homeostasis. In this review, we provide an overview of recent advances in EV-mediated local and systemic communication across four interconnected metabolic diseases: diabetes, obesity, metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), and sarcopenia, with a focus on the mechanistic roles of EVs in disease onset, adaptation, and progression. We highlight how EVs from the pancreas, adipose tissue, liver, and skeletal muscle propagate metabolic dysfunction across organs, and identify some shared cargo signatures, including miR-27a, miR-155, miR-146a-5p, miR-690, CXCL10, RBP4, ceramides, adipokine composition, and mitochondrial components, which may represent common pathogenic mechanisms. Current EV-based therapeutic strategies are discussed, and future efforts should prioritize the standardization of EV isolation and characterization to improve reproducibility, thereby facilitating clinical translation.
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BibTeX
@article{fan2026extracellular,
title = {{Extracellular Vesicle-Mediated Local and Systemic Communication in Metabolic Diseases}},
author = {Rong-Ping Fan and Li-Ping Gou and Jin-Fang Ma and Jing-Min Yang and Jack Isaac Wood and Rui-Ning Zhang and Xiang-Hui Fu and Nan-Wei Tong},
journal = {International Journal of Molecular Sciences},
year = {2026},
month = sep,
doi = {10.3390/ijms27188287},
url = {https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/27/18/8287},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Extracellular Vesicle-Mediated Local and Systemic Communication in Metabolic Diseases
AU - Rong-Ping Fan
AU - Li-Ping Gou
AU - Jin-Fang Ma
AU - Jing-Min Yang
AU - Jack Isaac Wood
AU - Rui-Ning Zhang
AU - Xiang-Hui Fu
AU - Nan-Wei Tong
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/09/17
JO - International Journal of Molecular Sciences
DO - 10.3390/ijms27188287
UR - https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/27/18/8287
AB - Extracellular vesicles (EVs) have emerged as key mediators of intercellular communication, shuttling bioactive proteins, lipids, and nucleic acids between organs to maintain metabolic homeostasis. In this review, we provide an overview of recent advances in EV-mediated local and systemic communication across four interconnected metabolic diseases: diabetes, obesity, metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), and sarcopenia, with a focus on the mechanistic roles of EVs in disease onset, adaptation, and progression. We highlight how EVs from the pancreas, adipose tissue, liver, and skeletal muscle propagate metabolic dysfunction across organs, and identify some shared cargo signatures, including miR-27a, miR-155, miR-146a-5p, miR-690, CXCL10, RBP4, ceramides, adipokine composition, and mitochondrial components, which may represent common pathogenic mechanisms. Current EV-based therapeutic strategies are discussed, and future efforts should prioritize the standardization of EV isolation and characterization to improve reproducibility, thereby facilitating clinical translation.
SN - 1422-0067
ER -