Intercellular communication via biomolecule transfer

Intercellular communication via biomolecule transfer is a fundamental biological process where cells exchange functional molecules such as proteins, lipids, and various RNA species (mRNA, miRNA) to coordinate physiological activities across distances. This transfer primarily occurs through extracellular vesicles (EVs), including exosomes and microvesicles, as well as through direct cytoplasmic bridges like tunneling nanotubes or gap junctions (Source: Nature Reviews Molecular Cell Biology, 2018). In pathological states, this mechanism is frequently hijacked; for instance, cancer cells utilize EVs to transfer oncogenic signals and remodel the microenvironment to facilitate metastasis and drug resistance, while in neurodegenerative diseases, it aids the spread of proteopathic seeds like tau or alpha-synuclein (Source: Journal of Extracellular Vesicles, 2020). While not a single molecular target itself, the components of this process—such as vesicle biogenesis enzymes (e.g., nSMase2) or specific surface receptors—are being intensively explored for therapeutic intervention. Current research focuses on either inhibiting the release of pathogenic vesicles or engineering synthetic vesicles for the targeted delivery of therapeutic payloads (Source: NIH, 2022). Because this process is ubiquitous in healthy tissue, therapeutic strategies must achieve high specificity to avoid disrupting normal homeostatic signaling (Source: Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology, 2021).

Other names

Extracellular vesicle-mediated signalingCell-to-cell biomolecule transferExosomal communicationParacrine signaling via vesiclesHorizontal biomolecule transfer

Pharmacological modulation of this process typically involves the inhibition of vesicle biogenesis (e.g., via neutral sphingomyelinase inhibitors), blockade of vesicle release, or the prevention of vesicle uptake by recipient cells.