scispace - formally typeset
Search or ask a question
Author

Veronika Kralj-Iglič

Bio: Veronika Kralj-Iglič is an academic researcher from University of Ljubljana. The author has contributed to research in topics: Vesicle & Membrane. The author has an hindex of 42, co-authored 261 publications receiving 8803 citations. Previous affiliations of Veronika Kralj-Iglič include Ljubljana University Medical Centre & University Medical Center Groningen.


Papers
More filters
Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: A comprehensive overview of the current understanding of the physiological roles of EVs is provided, drawing on the unique EV expertise of academia-based scientists, clinicians and industry based in 27 European countries, the United States and Australia.
Abstract: In the past decade, extracellular vesicles (EVs) have been recognized as potent vehicles of intercellular communication, both in prokaryotes and eukaryotes. This is due to their capacity to transfer proteins, lipids and nucleic acids, thereby influencing various physiological and pathological functions of both recipient and parent cells. While intensive investigation has targeted the role of EVs in different pathological processes, for example, in cancer and autoimmune diseases, the EV-mediated maintenance of homeostasis and the regulation of physiological functions have remained less explored. Here, we provide a comprehensive overview of the current understanding of the physiological roles of EVs, which has been written by crowd-sourcing, drawing on the unique EV expertise of academia-based scientists, clinicians and industry based in 27 European countries, the United States and Australia. This review is intended to be of relevance to both researchers already working on EV biology and to newcomers who will encounter this universal cell biological system. Therefore, here we address the molecular contents and functions of EVs in various tissues and body fluids from cell systems to organs. We also review the physiological mechanisms of EVs in bacteria, lower eukaryotes and plants to highlight the functional uniformity of this emerging communication system.

3,690 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Perhaps the most spectacular and surprising one-dimensional structures and their unique biomedical applications for increased osseointegration, protein interaction and antibacterial properties are focused on.
Abstract: Titanium and titanium alloys exhibit a unique combination of strength and biocompatibility, which enables their use in medical applications and accounts for their extensive use as implant materials in the last 50 years. Currently, a large amount of research is being carried out in order to determine the optimal surface topography for use in bioapplications, and thus the emphasis is on nanotechnology for biomedical applications. It was recently shown that titanium implants with rough surface topography and free energy increase osteoblast adhesion, maturation and subsequent bone formation. Furthermore, the adhesion of different cell lines to the surface of titanium implants is influenced by the surface characteristics of titanium; namely topography, charge distribution and chemistry. The present review article focuses on the specific nanotopography of titanium, i.e. titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanotubes, using a simple electrochemical anodisation method of the metallic substrate and other processes such as the hydrothermal or sol-gel template. One key advantage of using TiO2 nanotubes in cell interactions is based on the fact that TiO2 nanotube morphology is correlated with cell adhesion, spreading, growth and differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells, which were shown to be maximally induced on smaller diameter nanotubes (15 nm), but hindered on larger diameter (100 nm) tubes, leading to cell death and apoptosis. Research has supported the significance of nanotopography (TiO2 nanotube diameter) in cell adhesion and cell growth, and suggests that the mechanics of focal adhesion formation are similar among different cell types. As such, the present review will focus on perhaps the most spectacular and surprising one-dimensional structures and their unique biomedical applications for increased osseointegration, protein interaction and antibacterial properties.

395 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
15 Mar 2016-ACS Nano
TL;DR: The high potential of nanosized EVs for both diagnostic and therapeutic areas of nanomedicine, as demonstrated by the European Network on Microvesicles and Exosomes in Health and Disease (ME-HAD), is demonstrated.
Abstract: Recent research has demonstrated that all body fluids assessed contain substantial amounts of vesicles that range in size from 30 to 1000 nm and that are surrounded by phospholipid membranes containing different membrane microdomains such as lipid rafts and caveolae. The most prominent representatives of these so-called extracellular vesicles (EVs) are nanosized exosomes (70-150 nm), which are derivatives of the endosomal system, and microvesicles (100-1000 nm), which are produced by outward budding of the plasma membrane. Nanosized EVs are released by almost all cell types and mediate targeted intercellular communication under physiological and pathophysiological conditions. Containing cell-type-specific signatures, EVs have been proposed as biomarkers in a variety of diseases. Furthermore, according to their physical functions, EVs of selected cell types have been used as therapeutic agents in immune therapy, vaccination trials, regenerative medicine, and drug delivery. Undoubtedly, the rapidly emerging field of basic and applied EV research will significantly influence the biomedicinal landscape in the future. In this Perspective, we, a network of European scientists from clinical, academic, and industry settings collaborating through the H2020 European Cooperation in Science and Technology (COST) program European Network on Microvesicles and Exosomes in Health and Disease (ME-HAD), demonstrate the high potential of nanosized EVs for both diagnostic and therapeutic (i.e., theranostic) areas of nanomedicine.

371 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, a simple statistical approach is used, where the particles in the solution are distributed over a lattice with an adjustable lattice constant, and different sizes of ions are described by different values of the lattice constants.

221 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, a simple analytic statistical mechanical approach is applied to derive an expression for the free energy of a single electric double layer, where the mean electrostatic field and the finite size of particles constituting the electrolyte solution are considered by including the excluded volume effect.
Abstract: A simple analytic statistical mechanical approach is applied to derive an expression for the free energy of a single electric double layer. Electrostatic interactions are considered by means of the mean electrostatic field while the finite size of particles constituting the electrolyte solution is considered by including the excluded volume effect. The calculated free energy of an univalent electrolyte is compared to the corresponding free energy obtained by the Poisson-Boltzmann theory. It is shown that the excluded volume effect considerably increases the energy of the electrostatic field while the corresponding decrease of the entropic contribution is less pronounced. As the entropic contribution is larger than the energy of the electrostatic field and as the effects on both contributions partially cancel, the free energy obtained by the Poisson-Boltzmann theory is an excellent approximation regarding to the excluded volume effect.

153 citations


Cited by
More filters
Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Extracellular vesicles are now considered as an additional mechanism for intercellular communication, allowing cells to exchange proteins, lipids and genetic material.
Abstract: Extracellular vesicles are a heterogeneous group of cell-derived membranous structures comprising exosomes and microvesicles, which originate from the endosomal system or which are shed from the plasma membrane, respectively They are present in biological fluids and are involved in multiple physiological and pathological processes Extracellular vesicles are now considered as an additional mechanism for intercellular communication, allowing cells to exchange proteins, lipids and genetic material Knowledge of the cellular processes that govern extracellular vesicle biology is essential to shed light on the physiological and pathological functions of these vesicles as well as on clinical applications involving their use and/or analysis However, in this expanding field, much remains unknown regarding the origin, biogenesis, secretion, targeting and fate of these vesicles

4,241 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: A comprehensive overview of the current understanding of the physiological roles of EVs is provided, drawing on the unique EV expertise of academia-based scientists, clinicians and industry based in 27 European countries, the United States and Australia.
Abstract: In the past decade, extracellular vesicles (EVs) have been recognized as potent vehicles of intercellular communication, both in prokaryotes and eukaryotes. This is due to their capacity to transfer proteins, lipids and nucleic acids, thereby influencing various physiological and pathological functions of both recipient and parent cells. While intensive investigation has targeted the role of EVs in different pathological processes, for example, in cancer and autoimmune diseases, the EV-mediated maintenance of homeostasis and the regulation of physiological functions have remained less explored. Here, we provide a comprehensive overview of the current understanding of the physiological roles of EVs, which has been written by crowd-sourcing, drawing on the unique EV expertise of academia-based scientists, clinicians and industry based in 27 European countries, the United States and Australia. This review is intended to be of relevance to both researchers already working on EV biology and to newcomers who will encounter this universal cell biological system. Therefore, here we address the molecular contents and functions of EVs in various tissues and body fluids from cell systems to organs. We also review the physiological mechanisms of EVs in bacteria, lower eukaryotes and plants to highlight the functional uniformity of this emerging communication system.

3,690 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: This work demonstrates the presence of exosomal and nonexosomal subpopulations within small EVs, and proposes their differential separation by immuno-isolation using either CD63, CD81, or CD9, and provides guidelines to define subtypes of EVs for future functional studies.
Abstract: Extracellular vesicles (EVs) have become the focus of rising interest because of their numerous functions in physiology and pathology. Cells release heterogeneous vesicles of different sizes and intracellular origins, including small EVs formed inside endosomal compartments (i.e., exosomes) and EVs of various sizes budding from the plasma membrane. Specific markers for the analysis and isolation of different EV populations are missing, imposing important limitations to understanding EV functions. Here, EVs from human dendritic cells were first separated by their sedimentation speed, and then either by their behavior upon upward floatation into iodixanol gradients or by immuno-isolation. Extensive quantitative proteomic analysis allowing comparison of the isolated populations showed that several classically used exosome markers, like major histocompatibility complex, flotillin, and heat-shock 70-kDa proteins, are similarly present in all EVs. We identified proteins specifically enriched in small EVs, and define a set of five protein categories displaying different relative abundance in distinct EV populations. We demonstrate the presence of exosomal and nonexosomal subpopulations within small EVs, and propose their differential separation by immuno-isolation using either CD63, CD81, or CD9. Our work thus provides guidelines to define subtypes of EVs for future functional studies.

2,366 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The current knowledge on the specificities of exosomes and other types of extracellular vesicles, and their roles as important agents of cell-to-cell communication are discussed.
Abstract: The ability of exosomes to transfer cargo from donor to acceptor cells, thereby triggering phenotypic changes in the latter, has generated substantial interest in the scientific community. However, the extent to which exosomes differ from other extracellular vesicles in terms of their biogenesis and functions remains ill-defined. Here, we discuss the current knowledge on the specificities of exosomes and other types of extracellular vesicles, and their roles as important agents of cell-to-cell communication.

2,056 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The need for standardization of specimen handling, appropriate normative controls, and isolation and analysis techniques to facilitate comparison of results is emphasized, and it is recognized that continual development and evaluation of techniques will be necessary as new knowledge is amassed.
Abstract: The emergence of publications on extracellular RNA (exRNA) and extracellular vesicles (EV) has highlighted the potential of these molecules and vehicles as biomarkers of disease and therapeutic targets. These findings have created a paradigm shift, most prominently in the field of oncology, prompting expanded interest in the field and dedication of funds for EV research. At the same time, understanding of EV subtypes, biogenesis, cargo and mechanisms of shuttling remains incomplete. The techniques that can be harnessed to address the many gaps in our current knowledge were the subject of a special workshop of the International Society for Extracellular Vesicles (ISEV) in New York City in October 2012. As part of the “ISEV Research Seminar: Analysis and Function of RNA in Extracellular Vesicles (evRNA)”, 6 round-table discussions were held to provide an evidence-based framework for isolation and analysis of EV, purification and analysis of associated RNA molecules, and molecular engineering of EV for therapeutic intervention. This article arises from the discussion of EV isolation and analysis at that meeting. The conclusions of the round table are supplemented with a review of published materials and our experience. Controversies and outstanding questions are identified that may inform future research and funding priorities. While we emphasize the need for standardization of specimen handling, appropriate normative controls, and isolation and analysis techniques to facilitate comparison of results, we also recognize that continual development and evaluation of techniques will be necessary as new knowledge is amassed. On many points, consensus has not yet been achieved and must be built through the reporting of well-controlled experiments. Keywords: extracellular vesicle; exosome; microvesicle; standardization; isolation (Published: 27 May 2013) Citation: Journal of Extracellular Vesicles 2013, 2 : 20360 - http://dx.doi.org/10.3402/jev.v2i0.20360

1,840 citations