MISEV guidelines are periodically updated consensus documents written by extracellular vesicle researchers to standardize how studies and products describe EV preparations. The most recent version, MISEV2023, covers what information a characterization report should include: the source of the vesicles, the isolation or enrichment method used, size and concentration measurements, and the specific markers tested to support any identity claims.
The guidelines exist because EV terminology had become inconsistent across the field, with similar preparations described using different subtype names depending on the author or vendor. MISEV2023 responds to that by recommending 'extracellular vesicle' as the default umbrella term and reserving narrower labels such as exosome for preparations where the relevant biogenesis evidence actually exists.
For a buyer, MISEV provides a checklist for evaluating a supplier's characterization package: does it report source material, isolation method, particle size and concentration, and specific markers such as tetraspanins, rather than just a subtype name and a number. Suppliers who can produce documentation aligned with MISEV reporting categories are giving a buyer more to actually evaluate.
MISEV gives a buyer a concrete standard to measure a supplier's characterization documentation against, rather than relying on marketing language alone.