Extracellular Vesicles: Biogenesis, Cargo and Disease

Dear Colleagues, 

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are membranous vesicles of 30–5000 nm in size. EVs are heterogeneous and are secreted into the extracellular matrix by the cells under both physiological and pathological conditions. These EVs can be divided into three categories based on their biogenesis; exosomes, ectosomes, or shedding microvesicles and apoptotic bodies. Recent studies have identified EVs as critical players in intercellular communication. EVs carry a rich cargo of proteins, nucleic acids, lipids, and metabolites constantly mirroring the cell of origin and can potentially moderate various signaling pathways in the recipient cells. EVs have been isolated from a variety of biological fluids including saliva, blood, urine, bile, and milk. The occurrence of enriched proteins and RNA in EVs highlights the existence of specific sorting mechanisms that contribute to the selective packaging of various cargo. However, due to the lack of comprehensive functional studies regarding the molecular machinery of cargo sorting, these complex mechanisms remain poorly understood. Due to the emerging role of EVs in diseases, it is vital to understand the sorting of EV cargo to exploit EVs for drug delivery and inhibit/decrease disease progression.

This Special Issue focusses on recent findings pertaining to EV biogenesis, characterization of EV cargo, and the role of EVs in disease progression. We warmly welcome experts to submit previously unpublished original scientific research with novel findings and reviews with a comprehensive overview of EVs.

Prof. Suresh Mathivanan
Dr. Pamali Fonseka
Guest Editors

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• exosomes
• ectosomes
• apoptotic bodies
• extracellular vesicles
• intercellular communication
• EV biogenesis
• EV cargo
• drug delivery
• EMT
• metastasis
• cell–cell signaling
• biomarkers
• proteomics
• transcriptomics
• EV cargo sorting
• disease
• neurodegenerative diseases
• cancer
• immunology