Guidelines for the Storage, Isolation, and Characterization of Extracellular Vesicle Research

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are lipid bilayer-enclosed particles that contain diverse molecular components, such as proteins, nucleic acids, and lipids.EVs reflect the state of their cell of origin in intercellular communication.Such characteristics of EVs demonstrate their potential as biomarkers and therapeutic agents in basic and translational research.Research on EV biology and applications has progressed significantly.However, challenges remain in translating their potential into clinical applications because of issues in nomenclature, the separation of EVs from nonvesicular extracellular particles, and methods for characterization and functional analysis.The International Society for Extracellular Vesicles addresses the current standards and challenges in this rapidly evolving field through periodical updates of its Minimal Information for Studies of Extracellular Vesicles (MISEV), which was published in 2014 and revised in 2018.The latest revision, MISEV2023, provides an updated overview of the current methodologies, detailing their strengths and limitations in EV production, separation, and characterization from various sources, including cell cultures, body fluids, and solid tissues.In this review, we summarize the fundamental principles of EV research by referencing the guidelines on EVs published by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety of the Republic of Korea.Furthermore, we elaborate on the key aspects of MISEV2023, providing information for domestic EV researchers in selecting or developing optimal research methodologies according to their specific objectives and applications.