From 23 to 28 April, the annual meeting of the International Society for Extracellular Vesicles (ISEV) will take place in the Austrian capital. More than 1,700 participants from around the world are expected, making the ISEV Congress in Vienna the largest event of its kind to date. For comparison: the previous congress in Australia in 2024 welcomed around 1,000 attendees.

The scientific leadership lies in the hands of two renowned researchers: Eva Rohde, a transfusion medicine specialist at the Paracelsus Medical Private University Salzburg, and Eva-Maria Krämer-Albers, a neuroscientist at the University of Mainz. Together, they bring cutting-edge science and international networks to the city.

But what makes EVs so special?

Extracellular vesicles are seen as a new source of hope in biomedicine. They transport biological information from cell to cell – more precisely and more flexibly than previously imagined. Researchers are exploring how EVs can be used to detect diseases early, deliver therapies more effectively, or support the body’s own repair processes.

“EVs are fascinating because they act like messengers – but they are not cells,” explains Wolfgang Holnthoner from the Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Traumatology, and President of the Austrian Society for Extracellular Vesicles (ASEV). “You can load them with information, and they function without their own metabolism. That makes them particularly safe for therapeutic applications.”

There is also intensive EV research taking place in Austria – for example at the LBI Trauma, where scientists investigate how vesicles contribute to tissue regeneration or can be used as diagnostic tools. A key focus is placed on standardised quality control, as anything intended for clinical use must be precisely characterised in advance.