Cellular uptake machinery for exosomes

The cellular uptake machinery for exosomes refers to the collective set of receptors and endocytic pathways that facilitate the internalization of extracellular vesicles (EVs) by recipient cells. This machinery is not a single molecular entity but involves multiple mechanisms, including clathrin-mediated endocytosis, caveolin-dependent endocytosis, macropinocytosis, and phagocytosis (Mulcahy et al., 2014). Internalization is often initiated by the interaction between exosomal surface proteins (such as tetraspanins or integrins) and recipient cell surface molecules like heparan sulfate proteoglycans (HSPGs) (Christianson et al., 2013). Once internalized, exosomes release their molecular cargo—including proteins, lipids, and various RNA species—into the recipient cell, thereby modulating its physiological or pathological state. In the context of disease, this machinery is exploited by cancer cells to promote metastasis and by pathogens to facilitate viral entry or the spread of neurotoxic proteins (Hoshino et al., 2015). Therapeutic strategies targeting this machinery aim to disrupt these communication channels, although the lack of specificity for exosome-specific uptake versus general endocytosis remains a significant challenge for drug development.

Other names

Exosome internalization pathwaysExtracellular vesicle uptake machineryEV endocytic machinery

Inhibition of exosome-cell surface binding and disruption of endocytic internalization pathways