Extracellular vesicle is a wide term that involves many different types of vesicles. Almost all the cell types studied secrete vesicles to the extracellular environment related to cell - cell communication. Extracellular vesicles have been found in different biological fluids, such as blood, milk, saliva, tears, urine, and cerebrospinal fluid. These vesicles transport different molecules, including mRNA, proteins, and lipids, some of them cell type specific that make them ideal biomarkers in both health and disease conditions. However, their contribution to different conditions is not well understood. The aim of this book is to provide an overview of the extracellular vesicles in the human body, how they are internalized, and their participation in several diseases.

Interest in the role of extracellular vesicles (microvesicles and exosomes) is expanding rapidly. It is now apparent that far from being merely cellular debris, these vesicles play a key role in cell-to-cell communication and signaling. Moreover, they are significantly elevated in a number of diseases. This raises the question of their direct role in pathogenesis as well as their possible use as biomarkers. This book stems from the first international meeting on "Microvesicles and Nanovesicles in Health and Disease" held at Magdalen College, Oxford, in 2010. The purpose of the meeting was to bring together, for the first time, a range of experts from around the world to discuss the latest advances in this field. Key to the study of these vesicles is the availability of methodologies for their measurement in biological fluids. A major section of the meeting focused on a range of exciting new technologies which have been developed for this purpose. The presentations at this meeting form the basis of this book, which will appeal to basic scientists, clinicians, and those developing technology for the measurement of extracellular vesicles.

Interest in the role of extracellular vesicles (microvesicles and exosomes) is expanding rapidly. It is now apparent that far from being merely cellular debris, these vesicles play a key role in cell-to-cell communication and signaling. Moreover, they are significantly elevated in a number of diseases. This raises the question of their direct role

Extracellular vesicles are small vesicles (or membrane-bound organelles) that can be found in blood and other biofluids and their internal content and surface reflect their origin and potential function. Extracellular Vesicles: Mechanisms and Role in Health and Disease begins with a summary of the most recent findings about the potential role of extracellular vesicles in human health and diseases and discusses future directions. The authors discuss how intercellular communication at the developing feto-maternal interface is of cardinal interest. The implantation itself is at least partially-dependent on extracellular vesicles' mediated processes. Furthermore, the altered local and systemic immunomodulatory state seems to be significantly influenced by proteomic and nucleic acid cargo found in extracellular vesicles. Lastly, recent studies in the development of metastatic potential are studied by focusing on the role of oxidative stress under the control of reprogrammed onco-metabolism using the LNCaP-C4-2B prostate cancer progression model system.

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are nanoscale vesicles secreted by cells that mediate horizontal cargo transport from donor to recipient cell, thereby establishing cell-cell communication and signaling. This book provides critical information on the fundamentals of EVs, their roles in diseases like cancer, and their use in disease management. The chapters emphasize the emerging data confirming the role of EVs in the pathogenesis of diseases and discuss the scientific advances that have made it feasible to characterize and engineer EVs, leading to their use as tools in biomarker discovery and disease diagnosis, prognosis, therapeutic application, and theranostics. This volume is a valuable resource for basic biologists, translational scientists, and clinicians.