Role of Exosomes in Biological Communication Systems (eBook)

Dr. Faisal A. Alzahrani is an Associate Professor of Molecular Biology at King Abdulaziz University. He received his Ph.D. in Medical Sciences from North West Cancer Research Centre at Bangor University, where he studied the mechanisms of genome maintenance in cancer stem cells and stem cells. After that, he joined the university as a faculty member, set up his team and laboratory, and was appointed as deputy head of the stem cell unit. Dr. Alzahrani subsequently focused his research on stem cell-derived exosomes and their therapeutic applications. While working as a visiting lecturer at Aston Medical School in the UK, he became more interested in translating research and joined MirZyme Therapeutics as Vice President for the MENA region.

Dr. Islam M. Saadeldin is an Associate Professor at King Saud University, Saudi Arabia and adjunct Associate Professor at Zagazig University, Egypt. He obtained his Ph.D. from Seoul National University, South Korea in 2012. He was a visiting scholar at Niigata University, Japan (2008), and also served as a postdoctoral fellow at Seoul National University (2013-2014). He received the Asian Universities Alliance (AUA) Scholar Award in 2019 and a visiting professorship to Seoul National University. He holds a patent for embryo transgenesis through PiggyBac transposons. He has published more than 100 research articles on animal cloning, genome editing, assisted reproductive techniques, adult and embryonic stem cells, as well as the roles of exosomes in pathophysiology and embryonic-maternal crosstalk, in respected journals.  He also serves on the editorial boards of Frontiers in Veterinary Science, Journal of Animal Reproduction ad Biotechnology, and Cloning and Transgenesis, and as an associate editor for The Open Stem Cell Journal.

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This book reviews the role of exosomes and extracellular vesicles in both normal and pathological conditions. It first explains isolation methods for exosomes, and analyzes their fine structure and biological functions. Further, it highlights exosomes' role as the key regulator in embryonic-maternal communication, and in the pathogenesis of various diseases, including cancer and urogenital, infectious, and neurodegenerative diseases. Moreover, it reviews the latest advances in using stem-cell-derived exosomes as a cell-free strategy in regenerative medicine, as well as the potential of exosomal microRNA as a promising non-invasive biomarker and targetable factor in cancer diagnosis and treatment. Lastly, it explores the use of natural and synthetic exosomes as nano-vehicles for efficient drug delivery.