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Review
. 2025 Apr 17;16(1):184.
doi: 10.1186/s13287-025-04330-5.

Small extracellular vesicles: the origins, current status, future prospects, and applications

Xinyi Zhou #  1 , Jin Huang #  2 , Dianqi Zhang #  3 , Zhenyu Qian  4 , Xin Zuo  5 , Yaoxiang Sun  6   7
Affiliations
Review

Small extracellular vesicles: the origins, current status, future prospects, and applications

Xinyi Zhou et al. Stem Cell Res Ther. .

Abstract
in English, German

Small extracellular vesicles (sEVs) are membrane-bound vesicles with a size of less than 200 nm, released by cells. Due to their relatively small molecular weight and ability to participate in intercellular communication, sEVs can serve not only as carriers of biomarkers for disease diagnosis but also as effective drug delivery agents. Furthermore, these vesicles are involved in regulating the onset and progression of various diseases, reflecting the physiological and functional states of cells. This paper introduces the classification of extracellular vesicles, with a focus on the extraction and identification of sEVs and their significant role in repair, diagnosis, and intercellular communication. Additionally, the paper addresses the engineering modification of sEVs to provide a reference for enhanced understanding and application.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declarations. Ethics approval and consent to participate: Not applicable. Consent for publication: Not applicable. Competing interests: The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Different types of EVs A. Biogenesis of exosomes; B. Biogenesis of microvesicle; C. Biogenesis of apoptotic bodies; D. Biogenesis of other vesicles
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Bone and cartilage repair of sEVs from different stem cells
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Wound repair effects of sEVs from different stem cells
Fig. 4
Fig. 4
Nerve repair effect of sEVs from different stem cells
Fig. 5
Fig. 5
Summary of methods that sEVs can be used for in vitro diagnosis
Fig. 6
Fig. 6
Surface modification technology of sEVs
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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