Extracellular vesicles (EVs) released by various cell types play important roles in a plethora of (patho) physiological processes and are increasingly recognized as biomarkers for diseases. Moreover, engineered EV and EV-inspired liposomes hold great potential as drug delivery vehicles. EVs are heterogeneous in composition and size, ranging from approximately 30-1000 nm, with the vast majority <200 nm in size. As determined by their biogenesis, the three main classes of EVs are exosomes, microvesicles, and apoptotic bodies. In contrast to microvesicles, which are generated by budding from the plasma membrane, exosomes are derived from the endolysosomal pathway, and fall in the size range of 30-150 nm.
Extracellular vesicles (EVs) released by various cell types play important roles in a plethora of (patho) physiological processes and are increasingly recognized as biomarkers for diseases. More...