Topic: Extracellular Vesicles: Communication Across Barriers

The special issue will summarize the key scientific highlights of the 1st D-A-CH EV 2026 symposium, jointly organized by GSEV, ASEV and SwissEV, the EV societies of Germany, Austria and Switzerland. The meeting will take place from September 28-30th, 2026 at the University Hospital Erlangen Hörsaalzentrum of the Medical Faculty, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Ulmenweg 18, Erlangen, Germany. Under the motto ‘EVs: Communication Across Barriers’ the event will bring together approximately 300 to 350 international scientists from the EV field and will be accompanied by an outstanding Industry Exhibition showcasing the latest technological innovations in the field. Preceding the main meeting, an ‘EV Workshop Day’ will provide early-career researchers and newcomers in the field with a comprehensive introduction to the fundamental methodological and analytical principles of EV research.

We consider this 1st international D-A-CH EV symposium as a major opportunity to foster and strengthen scientific partnerships between emerging EV research groups and established expert, from both basic biological and translational clinical disciplines, while offering the opportunity to meet the renowned speakers.

The international program will highlight novel concepts and clinical applications of EVs, paying special attention to EVs as intercellular communicators in health and disease, as well as on innovative methodologies and data analysis for the identification of biomarkers or therapeutic targets. To achieve productive talks, lively discussions and maintain the excellent standards of our symposium, an outstanding line-up of internationally recognized keynote speakers has already been invited for each session.

D-A-CH EV 2026 Topics: 

1. EV Technologies and Methodological Advances

• Advances in EV Methodology

• Multi-omics Approaches and Data Integration in EV Research

2. Fundamental Principles of EV Biology

• Fundamentals in EV Biology

3. Microbial EVs

• Bacterial EVs

• Fungal and yeast-derived Evs

• Interkingdom Communication via EV

• Viral EVs / virus–EV interplay

• Microbiome–host communication via Evs

4. EVs in Health and Disease

• EVs in Cancer

• EVs in Cardiovascular and Metabolic Disease

• EVs and Autoimmunity

• EVs in Infection

• EVs in Brain Development and Neurological Diseases

• EVs in Wound healing and matrix remodeling

5. Clinical Applications and Translation

• Liquid Biopsy and Biomarker Discovery

• EV-based Therapeutic Strategies and Translational Medicine

6. Novel Sources and Emerging Concepts of EVs

Potential subsessions:

• Non-classical EV biogenesis pathways

• EV heterogeneity and functional specialization: Mixed EVs

• Innovative model systems for EV research

• Environmental and interspecies EV communication

A jointly appointed guest editorial board, consisting of the conference president and members of the organizing committee serving as representatives of the D-A-CH region, will be responsible for overseeing this EVCNA special issue and for coordinating all stages of the submission and publication process.