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Updated: Jul 21, 2025

Sample Preparation and Imaging of Exosomes by Transmission Electron Microscopy
Published on: January 4, 2018
The ins-and-outs of exosome biogenesis, secretion, and internalization
Subhash B Arya1, Samuel P Collie2, Carole A Parent3
1Life Sciences Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
Abstract:
Exosomes are specialized cargo delivery vesicles secreted from cells by fusion of multivesicular bodies (MVBs) with the plasma membrane (PM). While the function of exosomes during physiological and pathological events has been extensively reported, there remains a lack of understanding of the mechanisms that regulate exosome biogenesis, secretion, and internalization. Recent technological and methodological advances now provide details about MVB/exosome structure as well as the pathways of exosome biogenesis, secretion, and uptake. In this review, we outline our current understanding of these processes and highlight outstanding questions following on recent discoveries in the field.
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