Owing to the relationship between extracellular vesicles (EVs) and physiological and
pathological conditions, the interest in EVs is exponentially growing. EVs hold high
hopes for novel diagnostic and translational discoveries. This review provides an
expert-based update of recent advances in the methods to study EVs and summarizes
currently accepted considerations and recommendations from sample collection to isolation,
detection, and characterization of EVs. Common misconceptions and methodological pitfalls
are highlighted. Although EVs are found in all body fluids, in this review, we will
focus on EVs from human blood, not only our most complex but also the most interesting
body fluid for cardiovascular research.
