Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

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...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

A MAFG~MITF complex drives melanoma phenotype switching and progression.

Nature communications·2026

Same author

The virus lesson: Teaching viral structure and quasi-symmetry in mixed reality.

Protein science : a publication of the Protein Society·2026

Same author

Molecular architecture of Influenza A virions.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2026

Same author

MolViewStories: Interactive molecular storytelling.

Protein science : a publication of the Protein Society·2026

Same author

Mol* web molecular graphics engine.

Protein science : a publication of the Protein Society·2026

Same author

Unveiling miR-451a and miR-142-3p as prognostic markers in non-small cell lung cancer via small extracellular vesicle liquid biopsy.

Clinical and translational medicine·2026

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Aug 20, 2025

Direct Stochastic Optical Reconstruction Microscopy of Extracellular Vesicles in Three Dimensions

Direct Stochastic Optical Reconstruction Microscopy of Extracellular Vesicles in Three Dimensions

Published on: August 26, 2021

Integrative Modeling and Visualization of Exosomes.

Julia Jiménez^1,2, Ludovic Autin³, Inmaculada Ibáñez de Cáceres^1,2

¹The Sanitary Research Institution IdiPAZ.

The Journal of Biocommunication

|November 21, 2022

Summary

Researchers created structural models of exosomes, which are small vesicles released from cells, using integrated data. Three visualization methods were compared for accuracy and utility in understanding exosome structure.

Keywords:

Exosome integrative structural biology molecular visualization non-photorealistic rendering protein structure

More Related Videos

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

Extracellular Vesicle Uptake Assay via Confocal Microscope Imaging Analysis

Extracellular Vesicle Uptake Assay via Confocal Microscope Imaging Analysis

Published on: February 14, 2022

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Aug 20, 2025

Direct Stochastic Optical Reconstruction Microscopy of Extracellular Vesicles in Three Dimensions

Direct Stochastic Optical Reconstruction Microscopy of Extracellular Vesicles in Three Dimensions

Published on: August 26, 2021

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

Extracellular Vesicle Uptake Assay via Confocal Microscope Imaging Analysis

Extracellular Vesicle Uptake Assay via Confocal Microscope Imaging Analysis

Published on: February 14, 2022

Area of Science:

Biophysics
Cell Biology
Structural Biology

Background:

Exosomes are critical nanovesicles involved in intercellular communication.
Understanding exosome structure is key to elucidating their biological functions.
Current structural data often requires integration from multiple experimental techniques.

Purpose of the Study:

To develop and compare methods for creating structural models of exosomes.
To integrate data from proteomics, microscopy, and structural biology.
To assess the utility of different visualization techniques for exosome structural modeling.

Main Methods:

Utilized proteomics, microscopy, and structural biology data.
Employed traditional 2D painting for cross-section visualization.
Used cellPAINT software for manual 2.5D digital cross-section creation.
Generated 3D atomic models with cellPACK software.

Main Results:

Successfully generated structural models of exosomes using integrated data.
Compared the effectiveness of 2D painting, 2.5D digital painting, and 3D atomic modeling.
Demonstrated the feasibility of creating detailed exosome structural representations.

Conclusions:

Integrated multi-omics and imaging data enables robust exosome structural modeling.
cellPAINT and cellPACK offer powerful tools for visualizing and modeling nanoscale structures like exosomes.
These modeling approaches advance the understanding of exosome biogenesis and function.