Topic: Extracellular Vesicles at the Crossroads of Environmental Exposure, Inflammation, and Disease

Environmental exposures are increasingly recognized as strong contributors to chronic inflammation and the development of human diseases. So far, the molecular pathways linking external exposure to responses across tissues remain partly understood. The extracellular vesicles (EVs), membrane-enclosed particles released by cells, offer a compelling framework for investigating this connection. By carrying proteins, lipids, metabolites, and nucleic acids, the EVs can convey signals between cells and may mirror, as well as influence, the biological response to environmental stress.

Air pollutants, tobacco smoke, toxic metals, pesticides, endocrine-disrupting chemicals, and especially micro- and nanoplastics may alter EV release, composition, and function. Exposure-modified EVs can affect recipient cells and immune pathways, potentially sustaining oxidative stress, inflammatory signalling, endothelial dysfunction, or tissue injury. These processes may help explain how exposures at one site produce effects elsewhere and contribute to respiratory, cardiovascular, metabolic, neurological, and malignant disorders. At the same time, EV-associated molecular signatures hold promise as minimally invasive indicators of exposure, early biological effect, disease risk, or progression.

This Special Issue, “Extracellular Vesicles at the Crossroads of Environmental Exposure, Inflammation, and Disease,” will bring together research that examines these roles across experimental, clinical, and population settings. We welcome original studies, reviews, and methodological contributions addressing exposure-related changes in EV biogenesis and cargo; the mechanisms by which EVs shape inflammatory and disease processes; and their potential as biomarkers or therapeutic targets. Studies integrating environmental measurements with robust EV isolation and characterization, functional validation, and clinically relevant outcomes are particularly encouraged.

Relevant challenges remain, including distinguishing causal mediators from correlated biomarkers, accounting for exposure mixtures and individual variability, and improving methodological consistency across studies. Progress will require careful characterization of EV populations, transparent reporting, and approaches that connect molecular findings with real-world exposure and health data. By advancing this dialogue, the Special Issue aims to clarify how EVs participate in the interface between environment, inflammation, and disease, and to support their responsible translation into exposure science, prevention, and clinical research.