How Exosomes Work on a Cellular Level
Exosomes are tiny bubbles released by cells, about 30 to 150 nanometers wide, that act like messengers to talk to other cells. They carry useful stuff inside, such as proteins, fats, RNA, and signaling molecules, all wrapped in a thin lipid layer from the cell’s own membrane.
Inside a cell, exosomes start forming in compartments called endosomes. These endosomes pinch inward to create little sacs filled with cargo, forming structures known as multivesicular bodies. When these bodies merge with the cell’s outer membrane, they spit out the exosomes through a process called exocytosis. Cells make and release exosomes all the time, especially when stressed or signaling to neighbors.
Once outside, exosomes float in body fluids and get picked up by nearby or faraway target cells. They enter these cells either by sticking to the surface and sending signals through proteins, or by fusing with the cell membrane or getting swallowed through endocytosis. This lets their cargo spill into the new cell.
The cargo does the real work. Proteins like heat shock proteins help fix misfolded ones, improving protein balance across cells. RNA messages can change gene activity in the receiver cell, turning on growth or repair paths. Lipids and cytokines calm inflammation by shifting immune cells to a healing mode or spark new blood vessel growth for better nutrient flow.
In repair jobs, exosomes push cells to multiply, move, and turn into needed types, like in damaged tissues. They trigger paths such as AKT, ERK, and Wnt to boost survival and rebuild. From stem cells, they spread repair signals without needing whole cells, making them key for healing joints, skin, or muscles at a deep level.
This cell-to-cell chat keeps tissues healthy, fights aging effects, and handles stress, with exosomes linking everyone’s efforts.
Sources
https://bioinst.com/en/exosomes-treatments/
https://www.britannica.com/science/exosome
https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.1412651112
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12729007/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41444627/
https://youholistic.com/exosomes-regenerative-therapy-functional-medicine/
https://www.dovepress.com/mesenchymal-stem-cell-derived-exosomes-a-promising-therapeutic-strateg-peer-reviewed-fulltext-article-IJN
