Subgroups of Extracellular Vesicles: Can They Be Defined by Labels?

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are a class of lipid bilayer membranes, containing lipids, nucleic acids (DNA and RNA), proteins, and other substances. They are produced by almost all types of cells and act as signaling intermediaries between cells and/or tissues through different mechanisms involving complex signals. EVs produced by each type of cells are composed of highly heterogeneous and inhomogeneous subgroups with different biological functions. Therefore, in the past few decades, researchers have tried to use different labels to define the subgroups of EVs, and explore the differences in them. However, a unified standard for defining the populations of EVs has not yet been established so far. In this study, we review and summarize the use of different labels to define subgroups of EVs.

Automated summary

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are lipid bilayer membranes containing various substances, acting as signaling intermediaries between cells and tissues. EVs produced by different cell types have diverse biological functions, and researchers have been exploring ways to define their subgroups without establishing a unified standard.