Tiny Messengers, Huge Consequences: Extracellular Vesicles and mTOR Signaling in Neuroinflammation

Neuroinflammation plays a fundamental role in the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative disorders. Among the central regulators of this process are the mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling pathway and extracellular vesicles (EVs). This review discusses the bidirectional interaction between mTOR and EVs, describing their interconnection in the regulation of cellular communication and inflammatory responses in the central nervous system (CNS). On one hand, mTOR controls EV biogenesis and cargo composition, and, on the other hand, EVs also modulate mTOR activity in target cells with effects in neuronal survival, glial activation, and immune signaling. This bidirectional communication creates a feedback loop that, depending on cell context and molecular cues, may either promote neuroprotection or exacerbate neurotoxicity and inflammation.