The potential of endurance exercise-derived exosomes to treat metabolic diseases

Key PointsEpidemiological data demonstrate that endurance exercise confers multisystemic benefits on human health, and mitigates the effects of metabolic diseases including obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM)A variety of peptides and microRNA (miRNA) species (exerkines) are altered in response to acute and chronic endurance exercise that can influence the pathophysiology of obesity and T2DM through endocrine-like effectsExosomes are endocrine-like intercellular communication vesicles that carry proteins, miRNA and other nucleic acids between cells and tissues, and promote cross talk between organsThe specific physiological roles of exosomes and microvesicles have yet to be fully elucidated owing to controversies in current isolation methodologiesIsolation techniques and comprehensive particle characterization are essential factors to consider in the study of exosomes and microvesiclesWe hypothesize that many of the exerkines that mitigate obesity and T2DM, and positively regulate metabolic health are contained within exosomes; future therapies for obesity and T2DM might involve modified exosomes enriched with exerkines