Fundamentals in Extracellular Vesicles Biology in JSM Biology

Extracellular vesicles (EVs), including microvesicles and exosomes, are small membrane vesicles derived from the cellular membrane or from multivesicular bodies and are secreted into the extracellular space by many cell types. Microvesicles, that differ from nanovesicles because of their size and their mechanism of generation, are released by shedding or budding from the plasma membrane. They are typically bigger than 0.2 ?m and are also termed microparticles or ectosomes. On the contrary nanovesicles, that comprise exosomes, show a diameter between 30 - 100 nm, are characterized by an endocytic origin and are formed by the reverse budding of the peripheral membrane of multivesicular bodies or late endosomes [1]. The therapeutic potential of extracellular vesicles is enormous. The aim of this Editorial is to feature their role in regulating cell communication and in addition their potential therapeutic applications.