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Extracellular Vesicles as Mediators of Age-associated Chronic Lung Diseases
Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are small vesicles, which play an important role in (long range) cellular communication as well as in tissue homeostasis and are secreted by all cell types.
Alterations to their production have been described to add to chronic lung diseases. Indeed, evidence is accumulating that aging cells release parts of their secretome via EVs, thereby acquiring the potential to travel long distances and potentially contribute to aging-associated comorbidities of patients. However, how Es from senescent cells influence other cells is currently unknown. We isolate, identify, and characterize EVs from aging-associated chronic lung diseases to assess their effect on pathomechanisms of disease.