Intercellular Signaling via Delivery of Bioactive Molecules

Intercellular signaling via the delivery of bioactive molecules (proteins, lipids, or RNA) is a fundamental communication process between cells. This process involves various mechanisms, including extracellular vesicles (EVs) like exosomes and microvesicles, lipoprotein particles such as HDL, and direct transfer methods. These mechanisms facilitate the transfer of cargo molecules, such as enzymes, growth factors, structural lipids, mRNAs, and microRNAs, to recipient cells. Uptake mechanisms include ligand-receptor interactions, endocytosis, and membrane fusion. This intercellular communication plays a crucial role in diverse biological functions such as development, immune responses, tissue repair, and pathological processes like cancer metastasis.

Other names

Cell-to-cell communicationBioactive molecule transferExtracellular vesicle-mediated signalingLipid-mediated signalingRNA-mediated signaling