Description
Exosomes are small endosome derived lipid nanoparticles (50-120 nm) actively secreted by exocytosis by most living cells. Exosome release occurs either constitutively or upon induction, under both normal and pathological conditions, in a dynamic, regulated and functionally relevant manner. Both amount and molecular composition of released exosomes depend on the state of a parent cell.
Exosomes have pleiotropic physiological and pathological functions and an emerging role in diverse pathological conditions such as cancer, infectious and neurodegenerative diseases