There are several ways that transpire in cell-to-cell communication,with or without cell contact. Exosomes play an important role in cell-to-cell communication,which do not need cell contact,as that can result in a relatively long-distance influence. Exosome contains RNA components including mRNA and micro-RNA,which are protected by exosomes rigid membranes. This allows those components be passed long distance through the circulatory system. The mRNA components are far different from their donor cells,and the micro-RNA components may reflect the cell they originated. In this article we review the role of exosomes in cell-to-cell communication,with particular focus on their potentials in both diagnostic and therapeutic applications.
Cell Communication ; Exosomes ; Humans ; MicroRNAs ; genetics ; RNA, Messenger ; genetics

Exosomes are nanometer-sized membranous extracellular vesicles that can be secreted by almost all types of cells in the body. Exosomes are involved in cell-to-cell communication through autocrine and paracrine forms. Exosomal microRNAs (miRNAs) are stable in plasma, urine and other body fluids, and have various biological functions. They play an irreplaceable role in the occurrence, development, immune regulation of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Recent studies have proposed that exosomal miRNAs have promising application prospects in the pathogenesis, early diagnosis, and treatment of SLE. Therefore, this review aims to introduce the current research progress on exosomal miRNAs in SLE and analyze their potential application value.
Cell Communication ; Exosomes/genetics* ; Humans ; Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic/genetics* ; MicroRNAs/genetics*

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a main cause of death and disability worldwide, posing a serious threat to public health. But currently, the diagnosis and treatments for TBI are still very limited. Exosomes are a group of extracellular vesicles and participate in multiple physiological processes including intercellular communication and substance transport. Non-coding RNAs (ncRNA) are of great abundancy as cargo of exosomes. Previous studies have shown that ncRNAs are involved in several pathophysiological processes of TBI. However, the concrete mechanisms involved in the effects induced by exosome-derived ncRNA remain largely unknown. As an important component of exosomes, ncRNA is of great significance for diagnosis, precise treatment, response evaluation, prognosis prediction, and complication management after TBI.
Brain Injuries, Traumatic/genetics* ; Cell Communication ; Exosomes/genetics* ; Extracellular Vesicles ; Humans ; RNA, Untranslated/genetics*

Adventitia ; Atherosclerosis/genetics* ; Cell Communication ; Humans ; Hyperhomocysteinemia/genetics* ; Sequence Analysis, RNA

Neurons migrate from their birthplaces to the destinations, and extending axons navigate to their synaptic targets by sensing various extracellular cues in spatiotemporally controlled manners. These evolutionally conserved guidance cues and their receptors regulate multiple aspects of neural development to establish the highly complex nervous system by mediating both short- and long-range cell-cell communications. Neuronal guidance genes (encoding cues, receptors, or downstream signal transducers) are critical not only for development of the nervous system but also for synaptic maintenance, remodeling, and function in the adult brain. One emerging theme is the combinatorial and complementary functions of relatively limited classes of neuronal guidance genes in multiple processes, including neuronal migration, axonal guidance, synaptogenesis, and circuit formation. Importantly, neuronal guidance genes also regulate cell migration and cell-cell communications outside the nervous system. We are just beginning to understand how cells integrate multiple guidance and adhesion signaling inputs to determine overall cellular/subcellular behavior and how aberrant guidance signaling in various cell types contributes to diverse human diseases, ranging from developmental, neuropsychiatric, and neurodegenerative disorders to cancer metastasis. We review classic studies and recent advances in understanding signaling mechanisms of the guidance genes as well as their roles in human diseases. Furthermore, we discuss the remaining challenges and therapeutic potentials of modulating neuronal guidance pathways in neural repair.
Humans ; Axon Guidance/genetics* ; Neurons ; Axons/metabolism* ; Signal Transduction/genetics* ; Cell Communication

A small proportion of mononuclear diploid cardiomyocytes (MNDCMs), with regeneration potential, could persist in adult mammalian heart. However, the heterogeneity of MNDCMs and changes during development remains to be illuminated. To this end, 12 645 cardiac cells were generated from embryonic day 17.5 and postnatal days 2 and 8 mice by single-cell RNA sequencing. Three cardiac developmental paths were identified: two switching to cardiomyocytes (CM) maturation with close CM-fibroblast (FB) communications and one maintaining MNDCM status with least CM-FB communications. Proliferative MNDCMs having interactions with macrophages and non-proliferative MNDCMs (non-pMNDCMs) with minimal cell-cell communications were identified in the third path. The non-pMNDCMs possessed distinct properties: the lowest mitochondrial metabolisms, the highest glycolysis, and high expression of Myl4 and Tnni1. Single-nucleus RNA sequencing and immunohistochemical staining further proved that the Myl4⁺Tnni1⁺ MNDCMs persisted in embryonic and adult hearts. These MNDCMs were mapped to the heart by integrating the spatial and single-cell transcriptomic data. In conclusion, a novel non-pMNDCM subpopulation with minimal cell-cell communications was unveiled, highlighting the importance of microenvironment contribution to CM fate during maturation. These findings could improve the understanding of MNDCM heterogeneity and cardiac development, thus providing new clues for approaches to effective cardiac regeneration.
Animals ; Mice ; Diploidy ; Heart ; Myocytes, Cardiac/metabolism* ; Cell Communication ; Gene Expression Profiling ; Mitochondria ; Regeneration ; Mammals/genetics*

Chronological aging is the leading risk factor for human diseases, while aging at the cellular level, namely cellular senescence, is the fundamental driving force of organismal aging. The impact of cellular senescence on various life processes, including normal physiology, organismal aging and the progress of various age-related pathologies, has been largely ignored for a long time. However, with recent advancement in relevant fields, cellular senescence has become the core of aging biology and geriatric medicine. Although senescent cells play important roles in physiological processes including tissue repair, wound healing, and embryonic development, they can also contribute to tissue dysfunction, organ degeneration and various pathological conditions during adulthood. Senescent cells exert paracrine effects on neighboring cells in tissue microenvironments by developing a senescence-associated secretory phenotype, thus maintaining long-term and active intercellular communications that ultimately results in multiple pathophysiological effects. This is regarded as one of the most important discoveries in life science of this century. Notably, selective elimination of senescent cells through inducing their apoptosis or specifically inhibiting the senescence-associated secretory phenotype has shown remarkable potential in preclinical and clinical interventions of aging and age-related diseases. This reinforces the belief that senescent cells are the key drug target to alleviate various aging syndromes. However, senescent cells exhibit heterogeneity in terms of form, function and tissue distribution, and even differ among species, which presents a challenge for the translation of significant research achievements to clinical practice in future. This article reviews and discusses the characteristics of senescent cells, current targeting strategies and future trends, providing useful and valuable references for the rapidly blooming aging biology and geriatric medicine.
Humans ; Adult ; Aged ; Cellular Senescence/genetics* ; Aging ; Apoptosis ; Cell Communication ; Wound Healing/physiology*

The loss of or decreased functional pancreatic β-cell is a major cause of type 1 and type 2 diabetes. Previous studies have shown that adult β-cells can maintain their ability for a low level of turnover through replication and neogenesis. Thus, a strategy to prevent and treat diabetes would be to enhance the ability of β-cells to increase the mass of functional β-cells. Consequently, much effort has been devoted to identify factors that can effectively induce β-cell expansion. This review focuses on recent reports on small molecules and protein factors that have been shown to promote β-cell expansion.
Cell Communication ; genetics ; Cell Differentiation ; genetics ; Cell Proliferation ; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 ; genetics ; pathology ; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 ; genetics ; pathology ; Humans ; Insulin-Secreting Cells ; chemistry ; metabolism ; pathology

OBJECTIVETo investigate the impact of intracellular interaction between fibroblasts and colorectal cancer cells on the expression of insulin growth factor binding protein7 (IGFBP7).

METHODSColorectal cancer cells SW480 were cultured with or without fibroblasts HELF cells in RPMI 1640 medium for 0 h, 48 h, 7 2 h and 96 h, respectively. By RT-PCR and immunohistochemical staining methods,the expression of IGFBP7 was detected in mono-and co-cultured cells.

RESULTWhen SW480 cells were co-cultured with HELF cells, IGFBP7 expression in SW480 cells was significantly upregulated. Furthermore, IGFBP7 was induced in HELF cells both at mRNA and protein levels, which did not express when cells were mono-cultured.

CONCLUSIONFibroblasts-colorectal cancer cells interaction induces the expression of IGFBP7, which indicates tumor-stroma interactions may play an important role in colorectal cancer development.

Cell Communication ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Cell Proliferation ; Coculture Techniques ; Colorectal Neoplasms ; pathology ; Fetus ; Fibroblasts ; cytology ; Humans ; Insulin-Like Growth Factor Binding Proteins ; genetics ; metabolism ; RNA, Messenger ; genetics ; metabolism

Gene therapy is currently investigated in animal studies for treating erectile dysfunction (ED), and is affording an conspicuous therapeutic possibility for the treatment of ED, especially in L-arg-NO-cGMP pathway, ion channel, the protection of nerves and endothelia in erectile tissues. However there still exist so many problems for gene therapy to be effectively applied to the clinical treatment of ED. This review aims to examine the experimental efforts in recent years and tries to give a brief introduction to the new approaches in the field of ED researches.
Animals ; Cell Communication ; genetics ; Erectile Dysfunction ; therapy ; Genetic Therapy ; Ion Channels ; genetics ; Male ; Nerve Growth Factors ; genetics ; Rats ; Transfection ; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A ; genetics