Extracellular vesicles are natural nanoparticles surrounded by a lipid envelope that are released into the intercellular space by cells and play a key role in intercellular communication and the removal of substances from the cell. They are divided into three main groups: exosomes, microvesicles, and apoptotic bodies, differing in size, origin, and biogenesis. Their composition includes lipids, proteins, RNA, and other bioactive molecules. Various techniques are used to isolate vesicles, such as ultracentrifugation, microfiltration, immunoaffinity isolation, and microfluidic devices. The analysis of vesicles involves physical characterization, determination of their concentration, and protein composition. Extracellular vesicles are promising biomarkers for many diseases as they can provide a wealth of biological information in a non-invasive way, as they are also found in body fluids such as urine, saliva, and blood. Because of their stability and ability to reflect the state of the stem cell, vesicles can be used for early disease detection, monitoring disease progression, or response to treatment. Their small size still hampers the detection of extracellular vesicles. Therefore, existing laboratory methods will need to be adapted to be useful for the analysis of small and diverse particles, or new techniques will need to be developed. The association of vesicles with disease and their potential in neurodegenerative, autoimmune, infectious, and cancerous diseases are reviewed.
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