Minimal information for studies of extracellular vesicles 2018 (MISEV2018): a position statement of the International Society for Extracellular Vesicles and update of the MISEV2014 guidelines
Authors: Théry Clotilde , Witwer Kenneth W , Aikawa Elena , Alcaraz Maria Jose , Anderson Johnathon D , Andriantsitohaina Ramaroson , Antoniou Anna , Arab Tanina , Archer Fabienne , Atkin‐Smith Georgia K , Ayre D Craig , Bach Jean‐Marie , Bachurski Daniel , Baharvand Hossein , Balaj Leonora , Baldacchino Shawn , Bauer Natalie N , Baxter Amy A , Bebawy Mary , Beckham Carla , Bedina Zavec Apolonija , Benmoussa Abderrahim , Berardi Anna C , Bergese Paolo , Bielska Ewa , Blenkiron Cherie , Bobis‐Wozowicz Sylwia , Boilard Eric , Boireau Wilfrid , Bongiovanni Antonella , Borràs Francesc E , Bosch Steffi , Boulanger Chantal M , Breakefield Xandra , Breglio Andrew M , Brennan Meadhbh Á , Brigstock David R , Brisson Alain , Broekman Marike LD , Bromberg Jacqueline F , Bryl‐Górecka Paulina , Buch Shilpa , Buck Amy H , Burger Dylan , Busatto Sara , Buschmann Dominik , Bussolati Benedetta , Buzás Edit I , Byrd James Bryan , Camussi Giovanni , Carter David RF , Caruso Sarah , Chamley Lawrence W , Chang Yu‐Ting , Chen Chihchen , Chen Shuai , Cheng Lesley , Chin Andrew R , Clayton Aled , Clerici Stefano P , Cocks Alex , Cocucci Emanuele , Coffey Robert J , Cordeiro‐da‐Silva Anabela , Couch Yvonne , Coumans Frank AW , Coyle Beth , Crescitelli Rossella , Criado Miria Ferreira , D'Souza‐Schorey Crislyn , Das Saumya , Datta Chaudhuri Amrita , de Candia Paola , De Santana Eliezer F , De Wever Olivier , del Portillo Hernando A , Demaret Tanguy , Deville Sarah , Devitt Andrew , Dhondt Bert , Di Vizio Dolores , Dieterich Lothar C , Dolo Vincenza , Dominguez Rubio Ana Paula , Dominici Massimo , Dourado Mauricio R , Driedonks Tom AP , Duarte Filipe V , Duncan Heather M , Eichenberger Ramon M , Ekström Karin , EL Andaloussi Samir , Elie‐Caille Celine , Erdbrügger Uta , Falcón‐Pérez Juan M , Fatima Farah , Fish Jason E , Flores‐Bellver Miguel , Försönits András , Frelet‐Barrand Annie , Fricke Fabia , Fuhrmann Gregor , Gabrielsson Susanne , Gámez‐Valero Ana , Gardiner Chris , Gärtner Kathrin , Gaudin Raphael , Gho Yong Song , Giebel Bernd , Gilbert Caroline , Gimona Mario , Giusti Ilaria , Goberdhan Deborah CI , Görgens André , Gorski Sharon M , Greening David W , Gross Julia Christina , Gualerzi Alice , Gupta Gopal N , Gustafson Dakota , Handberg Aase , Haraszti Reka A , Harrison Paul , Hegyesi Hargita , Hendrix An , Hill Andrew F , Hochberg Fred H , Hoffmann Karl F , Holder Beth , Holthofer Harry , Hosseinkhani Baharak , Hu Guoku , Huang Yiyao , Huber Veronica , Hunt Stuart , Ibrahim Ahmed Gamal‐Eldin , Ikezu Tsuneya , Inal Jameel M , Isin Mustafa , Ivanova Alena , Jackson Hannah K , Jacobsen Soren , Jay Steven M , Jayachandran Muthuvel , Jenster Guido , Jiang Lanzhou , Johnson Suzanne M , Jones Jennifer C , Jong Ambrose , Jovanovic‐Talisman Tijana , Jung Stephanie , Kalluri Raghu , Kano Shin‐ichi , Kaur Sukhbir , Kawamura Yumi , Keller Evan T , Khamari Delaram , Khomyakova Elena , Khvorova Anastasia , Kierulf Peter , Kim Kwang Pyo , Kislinger Thomas , Klingeborn Mikael , Klinke David J , Kornek Miroslaw , Kosanović Maja M , Kovács Árpád Ferenc , Krämer‐Albers Eva‐Maria , Krasemann Susanne , Krause Mirja , Kurochkin Igor V , Kusuma Gina D , Kuypers Sören , Laitinen Saara , Langevin Scott M , Languino Lucia R , Lannigan Joanne , Lässer Cecilia , Laurent Louise C , Lavieu Gregory , Lázaro‐Ibáñez Elisa , Le Lay Soazig , Lee Myung‐Shin , Lee Yi Xin Fiona , Lemos Debora S , Lenassi Metka , Leszczynska Aleksandra , Li Isaac TS , Liao Ke , Libregts Sten F , Ligeti Erzsebet , Lim Rebecca , Lim Sai Kiang , Linē Aija , Linnemannstöns Karen , Llorente Alicia , Lombard Catherine A , Lorenowicz Magdalena J , Lörincz Ákos M , Lötvall Jan , Lovett Jason , Lowry Michelle C , Loyer Xavier , Lu Quan , Lukomska Barbara , Lunavat Taral R , Maas Sybren LN , Malhi Harmeet , Marcilla Antonio , Mariani Jacopo , Mariscal Javier , Martens‐Uzunova Elena S , Martin‐Jaular Lorena , Martinez M Carmen , Martins Vilma Regina , Mathieu Mathilde , Mathivanan Suresh , Maugeri Marco , McGinnis Lynda K , McVey Mark J , Meckes David G , Meehan Katie L , Mertens Inge , Minciacchi Valentina R , Möller Andreas , Møller Jørgensen Malene , Morales‐Kastresana Aizea , Morhayim Jess , Mullier François , Muraca Maurizio , Musante Luca , Mussack Veronika , Muth Dillon C , Myburgh Kathryn H , Najrana Tanbir , Nawaz Muhammad , Nazarenko Irina , Nejsum Peter , Neri Christian , Neri Tommaso , Nieuwland Rienk , Nimrichter Leonardo , Nolan John P , Nolte‐'t Hoen Esther NM , Noren Hooten Nicole , O'Driscoll Lorraine , O'Grady Tina , O'Loghlen Ana , Ochiya Takahiro , Olivier Martin , Ortiz Alberto , Ortiz Luis A , Osteikoetxea Xabier , Østergaard Ole , Ostrowski Matias , Park Jaesung , Pegtel D. Michiel , Peinado Hector , Perut Francesca , Pfaffl Michael W , Phinney Donald G , Pieters Bartijn CH , Pink Ryan C , Pisetsky David S , Pogge von Strandmann Elke , Polakovicova Iva , Poon Ivan KH , Powell Bonita H , Prada Ilaria , Pulliam Lynn , Quesenberry Peter , Radeghieri Annalisa , Raffai Robert L , Raimondo Stefania , Rak Janusz , Ramirez Marcel I , Raposo Graça , Rayyan Morsi S , Regev‐Rudzki Neta , Ricklefs Franz L , Robbins Paul D , Roberts David D , Rodrigues Silvia C , Rohde Eva , Rome Sophie , Rouschop Kasper MA , Rughetti Aurelia , Russell Ashley E , Saá Paula , Sahoo Susmita , Salas‐Huenuleo Edison , Sánchez Catherine , Saugstad Julie A , Saul Meike J , Schiffelers Raymond M , Schneider Raphael , Schøyen Tine Hiorth , Scott Aaron , Shahaj Eriomina , Sharma Shivani , Shatnyeva Olga , Shekari Faezeh , Shelke Ganesh Vilas , Shetty Ashok K , Shiba Kiyotaka , Siljander Pia R‐M , Silva Andreia M , Skowronek Agata , Snyder Orman L , Soares Rodrigo Pedro , Sódar Barbara W , Soekmadji Carolina , Sotillo Javier , Stahl Philip D , Stoorvogel Willem , Stott Shannon L , Strasser Erwin F , Swift Simon , Tahara Hidetoshi , Tewari Muneesh , Timms Kate , Tiwari Swasti , Tixeira Rochelle , Tkach Mercedes , Toh Wei Seong , Tomasini Richard , Torrecilhas Ana Claudia , Tosar Juan Pablo , Toxavidis Vasilis , Urbanelli Lorena , Vader Pieter , van Balkom Bas WM , van der Grein Susanne G , Van Deun Jan , van Herwijnen Martijn JC , Van Keuren‐Jensen Kendall , van Niel Guillaume , van Royen Martin E , van Wijnen Andre J , Vasconcelos M Helena , Vechetti Ivan J , Veit Tiago D , Vella Laura J , Velot Émilie , Verweij Frederik J , Vestad Beate , Viñas Jose L , Visnovitz Tamás , Vukman Krisztina V , Wahlgren Jessica , Watson Dionysios C , Wauben Marca HM , Weaver Alissa , Webber Jason P , Weber Viktoria , Wehman Ann M , Weiss Daniel J , Welsh Joshua A , Wendt Sebastian , Wheelock Asa M , Wiener Zoltán , Witte Leonie , Wolfram Joy , Xagorari Angeliki , Xander Patricia , Xu Jing , Yan Xiaomei , Yáñez‐Mó María , Yin Hang , Yuana Yuana , Zappulli Valentina , Zarubova Jana , Žėkas Vytautas , Zhang Jian‐ye , Zhao Zezhou , Zheng Lei , Zheutlin Alexander R , Zickler Antje M , Zimmermann Pascale , Zivkovic Angela M , Zocco Davide , Zuba‐Surma Ewa K 
Published: November 2018

The last decade has seen a sharp increase in the number of scientific publications describing physiological and pathological functions of extracellular vesicles (EVs), a collective term covering various subtypes of cell‐released, membranous structures, called exosomes, microvesicles, microparticles, ectosomes, oncosomes, apoptotic bodies, and many other names. However, specific issues arise when working with these entities, whose size and amount often make them difficult to obtain as relatively pure preparations, and to characterize properly. The International Society for Extracellular Vesicles (ISEV) proposed Minimal Information for Studies of Extracellular Vesicles (“MISEV”) guidelines for the field in 2014. We now update these “MISEV2014” guidelines based on evolution of the collective knowledge in the last four years. An important point to consider is that ascribing a specific function to EVs in general, or to subtypes of EVs, requires reporting of specific information beyond mere description of function in a crude, potentially contaminated, and heterogeneous preparation. For example, claims that exosomes are endowed with exquisite and specific activities remain difficult to support experimentally, given our still limited knowledge of their specific molecular machineries of biogenesis and release, as compared with other biophysically similar EVs. The MISEV2018 guidelines include tables and outlines of suggested protocols and steps to follow to document specific EV‐associated functional activities. Finally, a checklist is provided with summaries of key points.