EXTRACELLULAR VESCICLES DERIVED FROM GUT MICROBIOTA IN INFLAMMATORY BOWEL DISEASE AND COLORECTAL CANCER

The human gut microbiome encompasses inter alia, the myriad bacterial species that create the optimal host-microrganism balance essential for normal metabolic and immune function. Various lineas of evidence suggest that dysregulation of the microbiota-host interaction is linked to pathologies such as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and colorectal cancer (CRC). Extracellular vescicles (EVs), found in virtually all body fluids and produced by both eukaryotic cells and bacteria are involved in cell-cell communication and crosstalk mechanism, such as the immune resèponse, barrier function and intestinal flora. This review highlligts advancements in knbowledge of the functional role that Evs may have in IBD and CRC, and discusses the possible use of EVs derived from intestinal microbiota in therapeutic strategies for treating these conditions.