Extracellular vesicles: from bench to bedside

Abstract

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are cell-derived membrane-bound vesicles with heterogenous contents, including genetic materials, proteins, lipids and small metabolites. The classic EVs are exosomes, which originate from endosomal systems, and microvesicles, which are shed from the plasma membrane. Newly discovered organelle migrasome, once released from cells, adds another player to the EV realm. EVs are present in biological fluids and are important in multiple physiological and pathological processes, including immune regulation and cancer metastasis. Knowledge of EV biology is essential to promote the clinical application of EVs as potential candidates for non-invasive liquid biopsy and drug delivery vehicles. This is a fast-expanding field, but more attention should be paid to the fundamental biology of EVs in order to keep up with the explosive growth of translational needs.