Interest in the role of extracellular vesicles (microvesicles and exosomes) is expanding rapidly. It is now apparent that far from being merely cellular debris, these vesicles play a key role in cell-to-cell communication and signaling. Moreover, they are significantly elevated in a number of diseases. This raises the question of their direct role in pathogenesis as well as their possible use as biomarkers.

This book stems from the first international meeting on "Microvesicles and Nanovesicles in Health and Disease" held at Magdalen College, Oxford, in 2010. The purpose of...