Extracellular Vesicles and the Gartner Hype Cycle

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) have gained significant attention as emerging tools in diagnostics and therapeutics. Using the Gartner Hype Cycle framework, this commentary examines the current trajectory of EV research, from initial enthusiasm to growing concerns about reproducibility, standardization and clinical translation. We highlight key challenges, including EV heterogeneity, methodological inconsistencies and publication bias, which risk stalling progress. Ongoing efforts by the International Society for Extracellular Vesicles (ISEV), including Minimal information for studies of extracellular vesicles (MISEV) guidelines and the extracellular vesicle-transparent reporting and centralizing knowledge (EV-TRACK) database, have been crucial for advancing the field. We tackle actionable priorities to support rigorous, transparent and clinically meaningful EV research that would prompt the actual translation.