

Recent research has demonstrated that all body fluids assessed contain substantial amounts of vesicles that range in size from 30 to 1000 nm and that are surrounded by phospholipid membranes containing different membrane microdomains such as lipid rafts and caveolae. The most prominent representatives of these so-called extracellular vesicles (EVs) are nanosized exosomes (70-150 nm), which are derivatives of the endosomal system, and microvesicles (100-1000 nm), which are produced by outward budding of the plasma membrane. Nanosized EVs are released by almost all cell types and mediate targeted intercellular communication under physiological and pathophysiological conditions. Containing cell-type-specific signatures, EVs have been proposed as biomarkers in a variety of diseases. Furthermore, according to their physical functions, EVs of selected cell types have been used as therapeutic agents in immune therapy, vaccination trials, regenerative medicine, and drug delivery. Undoubtedly, the rapidly emerging field of basic and applied EV research will significantly influence the biomedicinal landscape in the future. In this Perspective, we, a network of European scientists from clinical, academic, and industry settings collaborating through the H2020 European Cooperation in Science and Technology (COST) program European Network on Microvesicles and Exosomes in Health and Disease (ME-HAD), demonstrate the high potential of nanosized EVs for both diagnostic and therapeutic (i.e., theranostic) areas of nanomedicine. © 2016 American Chemical Society.
| Engineering controlled terms: | Cell membranesControlled drug deliveryInternational cooperationMedical nanotechnologyPhospholipidsProgram diagnosticsTargeted drug delivery |
|---|---|
| Engineering uncontrolled terms | Intercellular communicationsMembrane microdomainsPathophysiologicalPhospholipid membranePhysical functionRecent researchesScience and TechnologyTherapeutic agents |
| Engineering main heading: | Diagnosis |
| EMTREE medical terms: | animalcell communicationclinical trial (topic)drug delivery systemexosomehumanmembrane microparticlenanomedicinephysiologytheranostic nanomedicine |
| MeSH: | AnimalsCell CommunicationCell-Derived MicroparticlesClinical Trials as TopicDrug Delivery SystemsExosomesExtracellular VesiclesHumansNanomedicineTheranostic Nanomedicine |
| Funding sponsor | Funding number | Acronym |
|---|---|---|
| European Cooperation in Science and Technology | BM1202 |
The authors acknowledge the european COST action for supporting the European Network on Microvesicles and Exosomes in Health and Disease (ME-HaD, BM1202, www. cost.eu/COST-Actions/BMBS/Actions/BM1202) who funded parts of the publication of this work.
Fais, S.; Anti-Tumor Drugs Section, Department of Therapeutic Research and Medicines Evaluation, National Institute of Health (ISS), Rome, Italy;
© Copyright 2018 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.