The Double-Edged Role of Extracellular Vesicles in the Hallmarks of Aging

Nekane Romero-García; Javier Huete-Acevedo; Cristina Mas-Bargues; Jorge Sanz-Ros; Mar Dromant; Consuelo Borrás

doi:10.3390/biom13010165

The Double-Edged Role of Extracellular Vesicles in the Hallmarks of Aging

Biomolecules. 2023 Jan 13;13(1):165. doi: 10.3390/biom13010165.

Authors

Nekane Romero-García^{1

2}, Javier Huete-Acevedo², Cristina Mas-Bargues², Jorge Sanz-Ros^{2

3}, Mar Dromant², Consuelo Borrás²

Affiliations

¹ Department of Anesthesiology and Surgical Trauma Intensive Care, Hospital Clinic Universitari Valencia, University of Valencia, 46010 Valencia, Spain.
² Freshage Research Group, Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Valencia, Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red Fragilidad y Envejecimiento Saludable-Instituto de Salud Carlos III (CIBERFES-ISCIII), INCLIVA, 46010 Valencia, Spain.
³ Cardiology Department, Hospital Universitari i Politècnic La Fe, 46026 Valencia, Spain.

Abstract

The exponential growth in the elderly population and their associated socioeconomic burden have recently brought aging research into the spotlight. To integrate current knowledge and guide potential interventions, nine biochemical pathways are summarized under the term hallmarks of aging. These hallmarks are deeply inter-related and act together to drive the aging process. Altered intercellular communication is particularly relevant since it explains how damage at the cellular level translates into age-related loss of function at the organismal level. As the main effectors of intercellular communication, extracellular vesicles (EVs) might play a key role in the aggravation or mitigation of the hallmarks of aging. This review aims to summarize this role and to provide context for the multiple emerging EV-based gerotherapeutic strategies that are currently under study.

Keywords: aging; exosomes; extracellular vesicles; hallmarks.

Publication types

Review
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Aged
Aging
Cell Communication
Extracellular Vesicles* / metabolism
Humans

Grants and funding

This research was funded by the following grants: grant PID2020-113839RB-I00, funded by MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033, PCIN-2017-117 of the Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness, as well as the EU Joint Programming Initiative ‘A Healthy Diet for a Healthy Life’ (JPI HDHL INTIMIC-085), to C.B., and grant CIGE/2021/134, from the Conselleria d’Innovació, Universitat, Ciència i Societat Digital de la Generalitat Valenciana to C.M-B. Part of the equipment employed in this work was funded by Generalitat Valenciana and cofinanced with ERDF funds (OP ERDF of Comunitat Valenciana 2014–2020).