Extracellular vesicles: Future diagnostic and therapeutic tools for liver disease and regeneration

Extracellular vesicles are membrane fragments that can be produced by all cell types. Interactions between extracellular vesicles and various liver cells constitute an emerging field in hepatology and recent evidences have established a role for extracellular vesicles in various liver diseases and physiological processes. Extracellular vesicles originating from liver cells are implicated in intercellular communication and fluctuations of specific circulating extracellular vesicles could constitute new diagnostic tools. In contrast, extracellular vesicles derived from progenitor cells interact with hepatocytes or non-parenchymal cells, thereby protecting the liver from various injuries and promoting liver regeneration. Our review focuses on recent developments investigating the role of various types of extracellular vesicles in acute and chronic liver diseases as well as their potential use as biomarkers and therapeutic tools.