Overview of microvesicles and exosomes in health and disease

Type: Book chapter
Authors: Rienk Nieuwland, Edwin van der Pol, and Auguste Sturk
Date: Published April 24th, 2014
Book title: Extracellular Vesicles in Health and Disease
Editors: Paul Harrison, Chris Gardiner, and Ian L. Sargent
Edition: 1st
Publisher: Pan Stanford Publishing
Location: Singapore
Pagination: 1-46
ISBN: 978-0123878373

Summary

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are spherical particles enclosed by a phospholipid bilayer and have a diameter ranging from 30 nm up to 5 μm. EVs are present in body fluids and fractions thereof, such as serum and a conditioned medium of cultured cells. The concentration of EVs in human body fluids may be over 1010/mL under normal, physiological conditions. The classification of EVs is not straightforward, with substantial confusion throughout the literature, mainly because detection of single vesicles is cumbersome. However, major improvements in the detection of EVs have been made recently. Because EVs contribute to health and disease, the clinical interest in EVs as noninvasive biomarkers for diagnosis or prognosis is emerging. Also, EVs may have several potential therapeutic applications, which are currently being explored.

This chapter provides an overview of current knowledge on EVs, with a focus on properties, functions, and clinical applications of EVs.