Abstract
For many decades, tools for cell-cell communication were of great concern in various research fields, not only in basic research, but also in medical research. Although a large number of humoral factors, such as cytokines, chemokines, growth factors, hormones, and so on, have been identified and characterized, few molecular mechanisms of cell-cell communication have been clarified. Recently, small membrane vesicles, called exosomes (also known as extracellular vesicles), have been at the center of attention again. Current vigorous worldwide research found that exosomes play multiple important roles in physiological and pathological phenomena. In this review, we will summarize our current reports showing the essential roles of exosomes in cancer development, the novel utility of exosomes to know the status of the patient, and the potential novel treatment choice for neurological disease.
