Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are small, nanometre sized, membrane-enclosed structures released by cells and are thought to be crucial in cellular communication. The cargo of these vesicles includes lipids, proteins, RNAs and DNA, and control various biological processes in their target tissues depending on the parental and receiver cell's origin and phenotype. Recently data has accumulated in the role of EVs in embryo implantation and pregnancy, with EVs identified in the uterine cavity of women, sheep, cows, horses, and mice, in which they aid blastocyst and endometrial preparation for implantation. Herein is a critical review to decipher the role of extracellular vesicles in endometrial receptivity and their potential in reproductive therapies and diagnosis. The current knowledge of the function of embryo and endometrial derived EVs and their cargoes, with regards to their effect on implantation and receptivity are summarized and evaluated. The findings of the below review highlight that the combined knowledge on EVs deriving from the endometrium and embryo have the potential to be translated to various clinical applications including treatment, a diagnostic biomarker for diseases and a drug delivery tool to ultimately improve pregnancy rates.
Keywords: Diagnosis; Embryo; Endometrium; Extracellular vesicles; Reproduction; Treatment.
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