What is "microvesicles"

n. (plural of microvesicle English)

Microvesicles (sometimes called, circulating microvesicles, or microparticles.) are fragments of plasma membrane ranging from 100 nm to 1000 nm shed from almost all cell types. Not to be confused with smaller intracellularly generated extracellular vesicles known as exosomes. Microvesicles play a role in intercellular communication and can transport mRNA, miRNA, and proteins between cells. Microvesicles have been implicated in the process of a remarkable anti-tumor reversal effect in cancer, tumor immune suppression, metastasis, tumor-stroma interactions and angiogenesis along with having a primary role in tissue regeneration. They originate directly from the plasma membrane of the cell and reflect the antigenic content of the cells from which they originate. They remove misfolded proteins, cytotoxic agents and metabolic waste from the cell.