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Updated: Dec 18, 2025

Extraction of Extracellular Vesicles from Whole Tissue
Published on: February 7, 2019
Characteristics and Changes of DNA in Extracellular Vesicles
Xiulin Chang1, Liaoqiong Fang1, Jin Bai1
1State Key Laboratory of Ultrasound Engineering in Medicine Co-Founded by Chongqing and the Ministry of Science and Technology, Chongqing Key Laboratory of Biomedical Engineering, College of Biomedical Engineering, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China.
Abstract:
Extracellular vesicles (EVs) have been known to carry multiple bioactive molecules, including lipids, mRNA/miRNA, and proteins. However, recent studies show that specific DNAs are also packed into EVs secreted by various cells, which are considered as powerful markers for diagnosis and prognosis of disease. DNAs in EVs are derived from parental cells, representing the mutation and even spanning of the whole genomic DNA of parental cells. Interestingly, increasing numbers of studies have found that the genetic materials in different EVs are not only universal but also random and different, which may be related to the size of EVs. In this review, we discuss the different characteristics of DNAs in EVs and the rules of their variation. We hope our review will trigger the continuing exploration of the origins, characteristics, and variations of DNAs in EVs.
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