Extracellular vesicles in normal pregnancy and pregnancy-related diseases

Abstract

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are nanosized, membranous vesicles released by almost all types of cells. Extracellular vesicles can be classified into distinct subtypes according to their sizes, origins and functions. Extracellular vesicles play important roles in intercellular communication through the transfer of a wide spectrum of bioactive molecules, contributing to the regulation of diverse physiological and pathological processes. Recently, it has been established that EVs mediate foetal-maternal communication across gestation. Abnormal changes in EVs have been reported to be critically involved in pregnancy-related diseases. Moreover, EVs have shown great potential to serve as biomarkers for the diagnosis of pregnancy-related diseases. In this review, we discussed about the roles of EVs in normal pregnancy and how changes in EVs led to complicated pregnancy with an emphasis on their values in predicting and monitoring of pregnancy-related diseases.