Extracellular vesicles – small messengers with a wide range of applications?

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are small membranous vesicles secreted by many different cell types that have emerged as potentially important mediators of organ crosstalk. EVs are of research interest in health and disease and as biomarkers and therapeutic agents in various fields, including metabolism, reproduction, cancer, and others. Despite promising data and a growing understanding of their role, challenges and limitations of EV research remain, leaving room for optimisation regarding methods for pure isolations of EVs and translation into clinical practice.