Int Immunopharmacol. 2026 May 9;182:116818. doi: 10.1016/j.intimp.2026.116818. Online ahead of print.
ABSTRACT
Periodontitis, driven by microbial dysbiosis, causes progressive destruction of periodontal tissues through pathogenic bacteria-host interactions, and is also closely associated with a variety of systemic diseases. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are membranous particles with a lipid structure secreted by cells, which serve as critical mediators in this process, facilitating bacterial invasion and modulating immune-inflammatory responses via transfer of bioactive cargoes. Derived from bacteria, immune cells, and periodontal tissues (gingiva, periodontal ligament, cementum, alveolar bone), EVs exhibit dual roles in tissue destruction and homeostasis maintenance. Notably, EVs enter circulation and transport pathogenic signals to distant organs, mechanistically linking periodontitis to diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and neurodegenerative disorders. Although many studies have investigated the role of EVs in periodontitis, the diversity and heterogeneity of the sources of EVs, and also the relationship between periodontitis and associated diseases by EVs has not been well-summarized. This review summarizes EV biogenesis, their pathogenic and protective functions in periodontitis, and the molecular mechanisms by which EVs mediate periodontitis-systemic disease crosstalk, which may open new avenues for EV-targeted therapies against periodontitis and its related diseases.
PMID:42107894 | DOI:10.1016/j.intimp.2026.116818