Extracellular vesicles in acute respiratory distress syndrome: Recent developments from bench to bedside

•Extracellular vesicles (EVs) were detected significantly increased in ALI/ARDS, and they play a critical role in the pathogenesis of lung injury.•Clarifying the mechanisms of EVs in lung injury is of great significance in the diagnosis and treatment of ALI/ARDS.•Cargoes in EVs are potential biomarkers for early diagnosis and risk warming of ALI/ARDS.•Modification of EVs with specific cargo may provide more effective and safer therapeutic approaches in the management of ALI/ARDS.