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Cells
Special Issues
Translating Extracellular Vesicle Science
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Translating Extracellular Vesicle Science

A special issue of Cells (ISSN 2073-4409).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 June 2026 | Viewed by 1228

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Masato Mitsuhashi

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
NanoSomiX, Inc., Irvine, CA, USA
Interests: extracellular vesicles; blood biomarkers; brain; follow-up study; translational medicine
Prof. Dr. Theresa L. Whiteside

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Cancer Center, Department of Pathology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and UPMC Hillman, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
Interests: exosomes; tumor immunology; immunotherapy
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue aims to highlight cutting-edge developments that bridge the gap between fundamental cell biology discoveries of extracellular vesicles (EVs) and their technical application. We welcome contributions that showcase technical breakthroughs, such as innovative approaches for EV isolation, purification, characterization, and in vivo imaging or tracking.

Submissions addressing translational progress are particularly encouraged, including studies on EV-based diagnostic platforms, therapeutic delivery systems, and outcomes from clinical or preclinical trials. We also seek forward-looking perspectives discussing technical challenges that must be addressed for advancing EV research, such as standardization of EV isolation protocols, optimization of in vitro EV production systems, or refinement of tools for studying EV-cell interactions.

By integrating technological innovation with cell biology insight, this Special Issue intends to inspire a new phase of EV translating research—one that deepens understanding of EV biological functions and lays a solid technical foundation for future research and application.

Dr. Masato Mitsuhashi
Prof. Dr. Theresa L. Whiteside
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Cells is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • extracellular vesicles (EVs)
  • EV isolation
  • EV purification
  • EV characterization
  • EV images
  • EV tracking
  • EV-based diagnostics
  • EV-based monitoring
  • EV therapeutics
  • blood biomarkers
  • translational medicine
  • exosomes
  • cell signaling

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

17 pages, 3272 KB  
Article
Nucleic Acids on the Surface and Lumen of Tumor-Derived Small Extracellular Vesicles as Potential Cancer Biomarkers
by Alicja Gluszko, Daria Kania, Chang-Sook Hong, Monika Pietrowska, James F. Conway and Theresa L. Whiteside
Cells 2026, 15(6), 512; https://doi.org/10.3390/cells15060512 - 13 Mar 2026
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 875
Abstract
Background: Tumor-derived small extracellular vesicles (sEV), which we call TEX, carry a cargo of molecules that resembles the producer tumor cells. Circulating freely in body fluids, TEX potentially serve as a liquid tumor biopsy. TEX horizontally transfer their cargo to various recipient [...] Read more.
Background: Tumor-derived small extracellular vesicles (sEV), which we call TEX, carry a cargo of molecules that resembles the producer tumor cells. Circulating freely in body fluids, TEX potentially serve as a liquid tumor biopsy. TEX horizontally transfer their cargo to various recipient cells, imparting to them pro-tumor activity. Mechanisms of TEX-driven reprogramming might involve nucleic acids, especially double-stranded (ds)DNA. Methods: TEX isolated from supernatants of human tumor cells were identified as sEV, based on their size, endocytic origin and morphology. TEX treated with DNase/RNase cocktail were examined by transmission and cryo-electron microscopy and tested for biologic activity. DNA was extracted from enzyme-treated TEX, quantified by Qubit and analyzed for fragment sizes. The presence of genomic DNA in TEX was confirmed by PCR, and sequencing of the TP53 gene fragment for a mutational signature was performed. Results: Enzymatic and microscopic studies of TEX showed that nucleic acids are present in the biocorona on the outer surface. Their removal interfered with the biocorona integrity. A short TEX exposure to DNase/RNase altered their morphology without impairing vesicle functions; longer treatments induced TEX re-organization into smaller membrane-bound vesicles. The TEX lumen contained long fragments of protected genomic DNA with a mutational signature reflecting that of the tumor. Conclusions: Nucleic acids present on the TEX surface support the vesicular integrity. The TEX lumen contains membrane-protected large (ds)DNA fragments with the mutational signature of the parent tumor. The presence of surface and luminal nucleic acids in TEX, and especially their mutational signature, suggests that TEX may serve as highly promising cancer-specific biomarkers. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Translating Extracellular Vesicle Science)
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