The Journal of Practical Medicine ›› 2025, Vol. 41 ›› Issue (14): 2278-2284.doi: 10.3969/j.issn.1006-5725.2025.14.023

• Reviews • Previous Articles    

Research advances and challenges in tuberculosis⁃associated extracellular vesicle biomarkers

Jingwen LAI1,Yuchuan ZHAO2,Zhuhua WU2,Xunxun CHEN2(),Kehao PENG3,Yuhui CHEN4,Ran WEI4,Xiaoyu LAI5,Jingyu. WANG   

  1. Guangzhou Chest Hospital,Guangzhou Tuberculosis Prevention and Control Institute No. 1 Branch,Guangzhou 510095,Guangdong,China
  • Received:2025-02-06 Online:2025-07-25 Published:2025-07-29
  • Contact: Xunxun CHEN E-mail:grace_chen514@163.com

Abstract:

Tuberculosis remains a significant global public health threat. Early diagnosis and effective treatment are crucial to combat this disease. Yet, traditional diagnostic methods for tuberculosis face limitations due to their low sensitivity, extended detection periods, and dependence on sputum samples. Molecular diagnostic techniques, while offering higher sensitivity, still primarily rely on sputum samples, thereby impeding significant advancements in tuberculosis diagnosis. In clinical settings, there exists a pressing demand for diagnostic approaches that are not solely reliant on sputum samples. In recent years, extracellular vesicles (EVs), as emerging biomarkers, have demonstrated substantial potential in various diseases, including tumors and infectious diseases. A multitude of studies indicate that EVs also exhibit potential in the field of tuberculosis. This review provides an in-depth analysis of the biological characteristics of EVs and their role in the pathogenesis of tuberculosis. It systematically summarizes the progress and significance of EV-based biomarkers in tuberculosis diagnosis, treatment monitoring, and disease mechanism exploration, while addressing the challenges and future prospects in this field. The aim is to offer valuable insights and up-to-date research findings to researchers and clinicians engaged in tuberculosis-related studies.

Key words: tuberculosis, extracellular vesicles, biomarkers, early diagnosis, clinical implementation

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