Author:
Rajendran Venkataswamy Kundave
Abstract
Exosomes are membrane-bound vesicles. They are considered as waste-management system of cells, crucial for intercellular communication of information and have emerged to be mediators of pathogen transmission. Pathogen derived exosomes advance infections by suppression of host immune response, transmission of pathogen-related molecules and immune evasion. The ability of exosomes derived from the virus infected cells to modulate the host immune response and/or further viral replication in the host has been reported in several viruses infecting human and animals. Apart from the virus infected cells, parasites have also known to release exosomes, parasite derived exosomes help in the attachment of parasite to the host and facilitate evasion of host immune responses. Tick-derived exosomes aid transmission of vector-borne pathogens. Similar to certain viral and parasitic infections, exosomes derived from bacteria infected cells could also play a key role in dissemination of the infection. An understanding of the exosome mediated pathogen transmission, its pathway and host-pathogen interactions could pave way to discovery of novel therapeutic targets.