Fig. 5
From: Extracellular vesicles: mediators of intercellular communication in tissue injury and disease
EVs in inflammatory lung disease. In homeostasis, most EVs in the airway are secreted by epithelial cells lining the airways and alveolar macrophages. In inflammatory lung diseases, immune cells are recruited to the airways and contribute to EV secretion. Secreted EVs carry protein, lipid, and miRNA cargoes and can be taken up by other immune cells and epithelial cells in the local environment. These EVs and cargoes can induce pro-inflammatory or anti-inflammatory effects in target cells, depending on the cargo type and context. These EVs can also induce tissue damage and fibrosis