Extracellular vesicles in endometriosis: role and potential

Xinying Chu, Menghui Hou, Ying Li, Qingyue Zhang, Shuxin Wang, Jing Ma
Frontiers in endocrinology · 2024 · vol. 15 , pp. 1365327 · doi:10.3389/fendo.2024.1365327 · PMID:38737555 · PMC11082332 · W4395672323
article OA: gold CC0 ⤵ 5 in-corpus citations
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⚙ AI-generated summary by claude@2026-06, 2026-06-07 ⓘ

Extracellular vesicles are implicated in the pathogenesis of endometriosis through intercellular communication and show promise as targets for novel diagnostic and therapeutic strategies.

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⚙ AI-generated deep summary by claude@2026-06, 2026-06-07 ⓘ

This review paper examines how extracellular vesicles (EVs)—including exosomes, microvesicles, apoptotic bodies, ectosomes, and oncosomes—carry signaling molecules (RNAs, proteins, lipids, metabolites, and noncoding RNAs) and contribute to intercellular communication, while also outlining their biogenesis and potential as liquid-biopsy biomarkers or therapeutic targets. Drawing on studies of EVs from human endometrial stromal cells, ectopic lesions, and multiple body fluids (serum, peritoneal fluid, tubal fluid, uterine lumen aspirates, and leukorrhea), the paper reports numerous differential EV cargo signatures in endometriosis, such as altered mRNAs/lncRNAs/miRNAs and specific up- or down-regulated miRNAs and tiRNAs/tRFs. A key limitation is that the evidence is assembled from heterogeneous observational studies with varied sample types and comparisons, without providing a unified mechanism or diagnostic performance evaluation. This paper is centrally about endometriosis—specifically the role and potential of extracellular vesicles in endometriosis pathogenesis and biomarker/therapeutic applications.

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Abstract

Endometriosis is a chronic inflammatory gynecological disease, which profoundly jeopardizes women's quality of life and places a significant medical burden on society. The pathogenesis of endometriosis remains unclear, posing major clinical challenges in diagnosis and treatment. There is an urgent demand for the development of innovative non-invasive diagnostic techniques and the identification of therapeutic targets. Extracellular vesicles, recognized for transporting a diverse array of signaling molecules, have garnered extensive attention as a novel mode of intercellular communication. A burgeoning body of research indicates that extracellular vesicles play a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of endometriosis, which may provide possibility and prospect for both diagnosis and treatment. In light of this context, this article focuses on the involvement of extracellular vesicles in the pathogenesis of endometriosis, which deliver information among endometrial stromal cells, macrophages, mesenchymal stem cells, and other cells, and explores their potential applications in the diagnosis and treatment, conducing to the emergence of new strategies for clinical diagnosis and treatment.

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Condition tags

endometriosis

MeSH descriptors

Endometriosis Endometriosis Endometriosis Endometriosis Endometriosis Endometriosis Endometriosis Endometriosis Extracellular Vesicles Extracellular Vesicles Extracellular Vesicles Extracellular Vesicles Extracellular Vesicles Animals Animals Animals Animals Cell Communication Cell Communication Cell Communication

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Papers in the corpus that this work cites (lower rings, blue) and that cite this one (upper rings, green). Dot size scales with the paper's in-corpus citation count — bigger dot = more influential within the endo/adeno field. Click a dot to open that paper. [ expand to 2 hops ] — adds papers reached through this work's immediate citers/citees. Heavier; up to 60 extra dots.

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