Not all extracellular vesicles were created equal: clinical implications

Extracellular vesicles are lipid membrane-bound particles containing cytoplasmic and transmembrane proteins, DNA and RNA that are released from cells in a variety of circumstances and contribute to cell-to-cell communication and other processes. Recent research has emphasized the potential role of microvesicles in cancer cell signaling and tumor biology, from metastasis to cancer-associated thrombosis (1,2). In this regard, Muhsin-Sharafaldine et al. report in Oncogene on the contribution of diverse types of microvesicles (exosomes, microvesicles and apoptotic vesicles) to the procoagulant and immunogenic properties of melanoma (3).