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Review
. 2025 Jul 30:15:1641405.
doi: 10.3389/fcimb.2025.1641405. eCollection 2025.

The diagnostic potential of extracellular vesicles in virus-related diseases

Qing Gao  1   2 , Yuqing Zhan  1   2 , Jianhao Zhang  1   2 , Dongyu Sun  1   2 , Huayuan Xiang  1   2 , Chenxuan Bao  1   2 , Qianqian Gao  1 , Mengyu Zhang  1 , Jianjun Wang  1 , Lingxiang Mao  1   2
Affiliations
Review

The diagnostic potential of extracellular vesicles in virus-related diseases

Qing Gao et al. Front Cell Infect Microbiol. .

Abstract

Extracellular vesicles (EVs), a heterogeneous population of lipid bilayer-enclosed membranous particles, are widely involved in cell-cell communication and pathophysiological regulation. Recent advances reveal their dual functionality in viral pathogenesis: while facilitating viral dissemination through transport of pathogenic components, they simultaneously orchestrate host antiviral defense mechanisms. The unique molecular cargo loading capacity and high stability of EVs in body fluids make them ideal biomarkers for early infection diagnosis, treatment monitoring, and prognostic evaluation of virus-related disease. Compared to traditional viral detection methods, EV-based liquid biopsy techniques exhibit distinct advantages, including non-invasiveness and enhanced sensitivity thresholds. This review systematically examines the diagnostic potential of EV biomarkers in viral infections, offering novel perspectives for developing precision diagnostics and therapeutic interventions.

Keywords: biomarker; diagnosis; extracellular vesicles; virus; virus-related diseases.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Possible mechanisms of virus transmission using EVs (figure created by BioRender).
Figure 2
Figure 2
Subtypes of EVs secreted by cells (figure created by BioRender).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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