Microvesicles
Microvesicles are a type of extracellular vesicle (EV) that are released from the cell membrane. They are also known as microparticles, ectosomes, and membrane particles.
Microvesicles are released into the extracellular space by the outward budding and pinching of the plasma membrane. They are loaded with multiple selectively sorted proteins and nucleic acids.
Microvesicles are typically ranging in size between 100 and 1000 nm in diameter. Although exosomes are generally smaller than microvesicles, their sizes may overlap.
Microvesicles mediate the transfer of intercellular information within biological systems and contribute to healthy conditions. For example, microvesicles shed by endothelial progenitor cells induced activation of quiescent endothelial cells and stimulated angiogenesis by transfer of mRNA.
Tumor cells as well as other cells in tumor microenvironments also secrete EVs (exosomes and microvesicles), and there is evidence that these contribute to tumor progression by promoting angiogenesis and tumor cell migration in metastases.