Extracellular vesicles (EVs) have until recently been considered only cellular debris. Today they have been recognized as fundamental elements in intercellular communication.

They are a heterogeneous population of membrane-bounded vesicles that play important roles not only in cellular communication but also in preventing or promoting certain diseases, including infectious diseases, neurological disorders, metabolic alterations, and cancer. With this workshop, we want to highlight two fundamental aspects in the study of EVs: the techniques and innovative approaches for EVs isolation and characterization and give some examples of their role in the onset of diseases.

Considering the extreme heterogeneity of the EVs and the difficulty of establishing standard analytical procedures, in the first part of this workshop we will examine problems related to isolation, classification, and their characterization (morphological and biochemical). Furthermore, an example of isolation and use of EVs from milk will be provided as innovative possible carriers for the delivery of drugs or bioactive compounds.

The second part of the workshop will focus on the role of EVs in the development and progression of diseases, like cancer, metabolic diseases and in the physiological maintenance of the extracellular matrix.