Integrated Strategies for a Holistic View of Extracellular Vesicles

Unlocking Exosome-Based Theragnostic Signatures: Deciphering Secrets of Ovarian Cancer Metastasis

Ovarian cancer (OC) is a common gynecological cancer worldwide. Unfortunately, the lack of early detection methods translates into a substantial cohort of women grappling with the pressing health crisis. The discovery of extracellular vesicles (EVs) (their major subpopulation exosomes, microvesicles, and apoptotic bodies) has provided new insights into the understanding of cancer. Exosomes, a subpopulation of EVs, play a crucial role in cellular communication and reflect the cellular status under both healthy and pathological conditions. Tumor-derived exosomes (TEXs) dynamically influence ovarian cancer progression by regulating uncontrolled cell growth, immune suppression, angiogenesis, metastasis, and the development of drug and therapeutic resistance. In the field of OC diagnostics, TEXs offer potential biomarkers in various body fluids. On the other hand, exosomes have also shown promising abilities to cure ovarian cancer. In this review, we address the interlink between exosomes and ovarian cancer and explore their theragnostic signature. Finally, we highlight future directions of exosome-based ovarian cancer research.

Extracellular vesicles and their cells of origin: Open issues in autoimmune diseases

The conventional therapeutic approaches to treat autoimmune diseases through suppressing the immune system, such as steroidal and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, are not adequately practical. Moreover, these regimens are associated with considerable complications. Designing tolerogenic therapeutic strategies based on stem cells, immune cells, and their extracellular vesicles (EVs) seems to open a promising path to managing autoimmune diseases' vast burden. Mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (MSCs), dendritic cells, and regulatory T cells (Tregs) are the main cell types applied to restore a tolerogenic immune status; MSCs play a more beneficial role due to their amenable properties and extensive cross-talks with different immune cells. With existing concerns about the employment of cells, new cell-free therapeutic paradigms, such as EV-based therapies, are gaining attention in this field. Additionally, EVs' unique properties have made them to be known as smart immunomodulators and are considered as a potential substitute for cell therapy. This review provides an overview of the advantages and disadvantages of cell-based and EV-based methods for treating autoimmune diseases. The study also presents an outlook on the future of EVs to be implemented in clinics for autoimmune patients.

Complete and Prolonged Inhibition of Herpes Simplex Virus Type 1 Infection In Vitro by CRISPR/Cas9 and CRISPR/CasX Systems

Almost all people become infected with herpes viruses, including herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1), during their lifetime. Typically, these viruses persist in a latent form that is resistant to all available antiviral medications. Under certain conditions, such as immunosuppression, the latent forms reactivate and cause disease. Moreover, strains of herpesviruses that are drug-resistant have rapidly emerged. Therefore, it is important to develop alternative methods capable of eradicating herpesvirus infections. One promising direction is the development of CRISPR/Cas systems for the therapy of herpesvirus infections. We aimed to design a CRISPR/Cas system for relatively effective long-term and safe control of HSV-1 infection. Here, we show that plasmids encoding the CRISPR/Cas9 system from Streptococcus pyogenes with a single sgRNA targeting the UL30 gene can completely suppress HSV-1 infection of the Vero cell line within 6 days and provide substantial protection within 9 days. For the first time, we show that CRISPR/CasX from Deltaproteobacteria with a single guide RNA against UL30 almost completely suppresses HSV-1 infection of the Vero cell line for 3 days and provides substantial protection for 6 days. We also found that the Cas9 protein without sgRNAs attenuates HSV-1 infection. Our results show that the developed CRISPR/Cas systems are promising therapeutic approaches to control HSV-1 infections.