Intercellular communication and molecular cargo delivery

This term refers to the collective biological processes by which extracellular vesicles (EVs)—including exosomes, microvesicles, and apoptotic bodies—mediate intercellular communication by delivering molecular cargo such as proteins, lipids, and genetic material to recipient cells. This forms a fundamental mechanism for regulating cellular behavior at both short and long distances, and participates in diverse physiological and pathological conditions, including cancer progression, neurodegenerative diseases, cardiovascular disease, and more. EVs can protect their cargo from degradation and deliver it specifically to target cells, influencing the tumor microenvironment, immune responses, wound healing, and other cellular functions[1][2][3][4][5][6]. This entry is considered incorrect as a molecular or therapeutic target because it refers to a class of biological processes and not a specific targetable molecule, protein, or receptor. For purposes of structured data, this should be flagged and replaced with specific molecules involved in these processes, such as "Extracellular vesicle", "Exosome", or individual protein markers (e.g., CD63, Alix, TSG101) which are specific components or regulators within this broader process[1][3][4][5][6].

Other names

Extracellular vesicle-mediated intercellular communicationEV-mediated cargo transferExosome-mediated communication