부산대학교 도서관

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are membrane-bound vesicles produced and released into the extracellular fluid by cells under physiological and stressful conditions. They play a role as intracellular communicators by carrying and delivering biomolecules, such as proteins, lipids, or nucleic acids. Urinary EVs have gained important recognition as potential diagnostic biomarkers in renal disease, as they can originate from diverse cell types, including glomerular podocytes, tubular epithelial cells, or endothelial cells. Accumulating evidence has emphasized the feasibility of using EVs as biomarkers for diagnostic, prognostic, and therapeutic purposes in several forms of renal disease, such as acute kidney injury, glomerulonephritis, and renal transplantation. In this review, we introduce recent studies that attempt to identify urinary EVs as candidate biomarkers for human kidney diseases and consider their potential implications as a therapeutic option in significant kidney diseases. (Korean J Med 2021;96:36-41)