Advances in study on exosomes and their applications in kidney diseases.

Exosomes are in a size of 30-100 nm vesicles released by various cells, with a double-layered lipid membrane containing DNA, RNA, and protein. In the past, exosomes were considered to be molecular waste, and recently exosomes have been shown to be involved in many pathophysiological processes, including intercellular communication, immune response, nerve repair, and tumorigenesis. Exosomes are present in numerous body fluids, and urinary exosomes have been shown to be biomarkers of a variety of kidney diseases.