mGem: Extracellular vesicles in Leishmania —secret messengers driving infection and disease

Leishmaniasis is a disease caused by Leishmania parasites, transmitted by insects, that occurs worldwide. The parasite and parasite-infected cells release extracellular vesicles (EVs), which are involved in numerous biological processes. EVs secreted by Leishmania modulate the host cell and, in turn, the immune response. In this review, we focused on two particular EV-related topics: (i) EVs as carriers of Leishmania virulence factors and implications in parasite biology, and (ii) the effects of Leishmania -derived EVs on the host’s immune response.