mGem: Extracellular vesicles in <i>Leishmania</i> —secret messengers driving infection and disease

Leishmaniasis is a disease caused by <i>Leishmania</i> 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 <i>Leishmania</i> 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 <i>Leishmania</i> virulence factors and implications in parasite biology, and (ii) the effects of <i>Leishmania</i>-derived EVs on the host's immune response.