Vaginal extracellular vesicles impair fertility in endometriosis by favoring Th17/Treg imbalance and inhibiting sperm activity

Preterm labor is a serious issue that can lead to preterm birth, posing significant risks to both the mother and the neonate. Despite the high incidence of approximately 15 million preterm births worldwide per year, there is a lack of sufficient strategies for predicting and preventing preterm labor. Here, we found that exosomal miRNAs in maternal vaginal discharge can serve as biomarkers for early diagnosis of life-threatening conditions in both the mother and neonate. Our non-invasive biopsy of vaginal discharge using a swab allows us to isolate enriched exosomes via an advanced microfluidic platform called BEST (Biologically intact Exosome Separation Technology). We have identified specific miRNAs differentially expressed in mothers with preterm labor compared to those with full-term mothers. These miRNAs included hsa-miR-206, which was up-regulated in preterm labor, and hsa-miR-3674, hsa-miR-365a-5p, and hsa-miR-193b-3p, which were down-regulated. We believe our discovery of unique miRNAs as biomarkers can aid in early detection and effective treatment of preterm labor, potentially revolutionizing global healthcare.

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Updating Research on Extracellular Vesicles of the Male Reproductive Tract in Farm Animals: A Systematic Review

Martínez-Díaz,

Parra,

Montesdeoca

et al. 2024

Animals

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This systematic review examined research studies on extracellular vesicles (EVs) of the male reproductive tract in livestock species to summarize the research topics and methodologies used, key findings, and future directions. PubMed and Scopus were searched for time ranges up to 1 September 2024, and 1383 articles were identified. The application of screening and eligibility criteria resulted in the selection of 79 articles focusing on male reproductive EVs in livestock. Porcine and bovine male reproductive EVs were the most studied. A variety of EV isolation techniques were used, with ultracentrifugation being the most common. Characterization of male reproductive EVs in livestock was a weak point, with only 24.05% of the articles characterizing EVs according to MISEV guidelines. Inadequate characterization of EVs compromises the reliability of results. The results of 19 articles that provided a good characterization of EVs showed that male reproductive EVs from livestock species are phenotypically and compositionally heterogeneous. These papers also showed that these EVs would be involved in the regulation of sperm functionality. Research on male reproductive EVs in livestock species remains scarce, and further research is needed, which should include appropriate characterization of EVs and aim to find efficient methods to isolate them and assess their involvement in the functionality of spermatozoa and the cells of the female genital tract.

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Vaginal extracellular vesicles impair fertility in endometriosis by favoring Th17/Treg imbalance and inhibiting sperm activity

Cited by 4 publications

References 51 publications

Sperm activity affected by endometriosis

Sperm activity affected by endometriosis

Exosomal miRNAs from maternal vaginal discharge as biomarkers for preterm labor: non-invasive liquid biopsy

Updating Research on Extracellular Vesicles of the Male Reproductive Tract in Farm Animals: A Systematic Review

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