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Related Concept Videos

Overview of Exosomes

Overview of Exosomes

Exosomes are stable, lipid bilayer-enclosed vesicles capable of crossing biological barriers. They can carry a wide range of molecules required for intercellular communication. Once exosomes are released from the cell where they originated, they enter a recipient cell through various pathways such as fusion, receptor-mediated endocytosis, macropinocytosis, and phagocytosis.
Stahl et al. discovered exosomes in 1983, but the exosomes were initially considered waste products released from the...

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Intralumenal Vesicles and Multivesicular Bodies

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Exocytosis

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 14, 2026

Sample Preparation and Imaging of Exosomes by Transmission Electron Microscopy

Sample Preparation and Imaging of Exosomes by Transmission Electron Microscopy

Published on: January 4, 2018

Exosomes: looking back three decades and into the future.

Clifford V Harding¹, John E Heuser, Philip D Stahl

¹Department of Pathology, Case Western Reserve University and University Hospitals Case Medical Center, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA.

The Journal of Cell Biology

|February 20, 2013

Summary

Exosomes, extracellular vesicles, are key to intercellular communication in health and disease. Their discovery in 1983 opened new avenues for understanding cell-to-cell signaling and therapeutic potential.

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Isolation and Characterization of Exosomes Derived from Mouse Spleen Tissues

Isolation and Characterization of Exosomes Derived from Mouse Spleen Tissues

Published on: September 20, 2024

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Last Updated: May 14, 2026

Sample Preparation and Imaging of Exosomes by Transmission Electron Microscopy

Sample Preparation and Imaging of Exosomes by Transmission Electron Microscopy

Published on: January 4, 2018

Isolation and Characterization of Exosomes Derived from Mouse Spleen Tissues

Isolation and Characterization of Exosomes Derived from Mouse Spleen Tissues

Published on: September 20, 2024

Area of Science:

Cell Biology
Biochemistry
Physiology

Background:

Exosomes are extracellular vesicles originating from multivesicular endosomes.
Their biogenesis involves the inward budding of endosomal membranes to form intraluminal vesicles.
Exosomes are released into the extracellular environment upon fusion of multivesicular bodies with the plasma membrane.

Purpose of the Study:

To review the historical discovery of exosomes.
To elucidate the role of exosomes in intercellular communication.
To highlight current research frontiers in exosome biology and disease.

Main Methods:

Review of seminal research papers on exosome discovery.
Analysis of experimental evidence demonstrating exosome function.
Synthesis of current literature on exosome-mediated signaling.

Main Results:

Exosome biogenesis via exocytosis of multivesicular endosomes was first described in 1983.
Exosomes are now recognized as critical mediators of intercellular communication.
Evidence links exosomes to diverse physiological processes and pathological conditions.

Conclusions:

The discovery of exosomes revolutionized understanding of cell-to-cell signaling.
Exosomes represent a significant area of research with implications for diagnostics and therapeutics.
Future research will likely focus on deciphering exosome cargo and engineering their functions.