Viewing Enveloped Viruses and Extracellular Vesicles as Molecular Transport Vehicles

Enveloped viruses and extracellular vesicles transmit health and disease-related macromolecules between cells. For viruses, the machinery used to achieve this transmission is well-understood, but far less is known about the transport equipment on extracellular vesicles. We developed strategies to dissect protein and RNA transport mediated by extracellular vesicles, and used the approaches to identify cargo delivery mechanisms. Our findings bring insights into macromolecular transport processes in organs including the heart and the brain.