Extracellular Vesicles (EVs) are gaining interest as central players in liquid biopsies, with potential applications in diagnosis, prognosis and therapeutic guidance in most pathological conditions. These nanosized particles transmit signals determined by their protein, lipid, nucleic acid and sugar content, and the unique molecular pattern of EVs dictates the type of signal to be transmitted to recipient cells. However, their small sizes and the limited quantities that can usually be obtained from patient-derived samples pose a number of challenges to their isolation, study and characterization. These challenges and some possible options to overcome them are discussed in this review.

Inflammation is an essential protective biological response involving a coordinated cascade of signals between cytokines and immune signaling molecules that facilitate return to tissue homeostasis after acute injury or infection. However, inflammation is not effectively resolved in chronic inflammatory diseases such as atherosclerosis and can lead to tissue damage and exacerbation of the underlying condition. Therapeutics that dampen inflammation and enhance resolution are currently of considerable interest, in particular those that temper inflammation with minimal host collateral damage. Here we present the development and efficacy investigations of