Microvesicles: Intercellular messengers in cutaneous wound healing

Longtime considered as inert cellular debris, microvesicles (MVs) have gained tremendous attention in the past decade. MVs are 100-1000 nm vesicles released into the extracellular environment by the outward budding and fission of the plasma membrane. They are now regarded as essential mediators of cell-to-cell interactions in a variety of physiological and pathological processes. In this review, we discuss the increasingly recognized contribution of MVs to the biology of wound healing. We highlight current concepts relating to the biogenesis and mode of action of MVs. We discuss the emerging roles of MVs in the hemostatic, inflammatory, proliferative, and remodeling phases of the injury-repair response. In doing so, we provide a new perspective on the dynamics of intercellular communication involved in skin homeostasis.