Topic: Beyond Exosomes: Advances in Extracellular Vesicle Research and Applications

Extracellular vesicle (EV) research has expanded rapidly in recent years, revealing the diverse roles of EVs in intercellular communication and their growing potential in disease diagnosis, therapeutics, biotechnology, and other applications. At the same time, advances in analytical technologies have highlighted the remarkable heterogeneity of extracellular particles and have prompted the field to move beyond conventional exosome-centered concepts toward a broader and more comprehensive understanding of EV biology and applications.

APSEV 2026 / JSEV 2026, to be held in Tokyo, Japan, on October 22–23, 2026, will bring together researchers from Japan, the Asia-Pacific region, and beyond under the theme “Beyond Exosomes: Emerging Advances for Biomedical Applications.” The meeting aims to provide a platform for sharing cutting-edge discoveries ranging from fundamental EV biology to clinical and industrial applications, while also addressing emerging challenges in EV characterization, standardization, quality control, and translation.

This Special Issue, “Beyond Exosomes: Advances in Extracellular Vesicle Research and Applications,” launched in conjunction with APSEV 2026 / JSEV 2026, aims to capture recent advances across the broad spectrum of EV research and to promote further scientific exchange and collaboration within the international EV community. Topics of interest include, but are not limited to, EV biogenesis, heterogeneity, cargo, and intercellular communication; the roles of EVs in health and disease; EV-based biomarkers and liquid biopsy; therapeutic and engineered EVs; emerging technologies and analytical methodologies; standardization and quality control; and biomedical, industrial, and other translational applications.

We welcome both original research articles and review articles from participants of APSEV 2026 / JSEV 2026. Through this Special Issue, we hope to highlight innovative concepts and technologies that extend beyond the traditional framework of exosomes and contribute to the next generation of EV research and its biomedical, industrial, and other emerging applications.