title: The association of exosomes with lymph nodes.
abstract: Cells produce extracellular nanovesicles known as exosomes that transport information between tissue microenvironments. Exosomes can engage and regulate the function of various immune cell types facilitating both normal and pathological processes. It follows that exosomes should also associate with lymph nodes containing immune cells. Herein, data derived from investigations that incorporate experiments pertaining to the trafficking of exosomes to lymph nodes is reviewed. Within lymph nodes, direct evidence demonstrates that exosomes associate with dendritic cells, subcapsular sinus macrophages, B lymphocytes and stromal cells. Interactions with endothelial cells are also likely. The functional significance of these associations depends on exosome type. Continued investigations into the relationship between exosomes and lymph nodes will further our understanding of how exosomes regulate immune cells subsets and may serve to inspire new exosome based therapeutics to treat a variety of diseases.
authors.affiliation: University of Louisville, Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology and The James Graham Brown Cancer Center, Clinical and Translational Research Building, 505 South Hancock Street, Louisville, KY 40202, United States. Electronic address: joshua.hood@louisville.edu.
authors.forename: Joshua L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Hood
mesh_terms: D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D001692:Biological Transport; D002450:Cell Communication; D060833:Cellular Microenvironment; D003713:Dendritic Cells / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D042783:Endothelial Cells / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D055354:Exosomes / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D008264:Macrophages / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008407:Mast Cells / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000276:immunology; D017154:Stromal Cells / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology
keywords: B lymphocyte; Dendritic cell; Endothelial cell; Exosome; Extracellular vesicles; Lymph node; Macrophage