EV-Ident: Identifying Tumor-Specific Extracellular Vesicles by Size Fractionation and Single-Vesicle Analysis

Profiling DNA Cargos in Single Extracellular Vesicles via Hydrogel-Based Droplet Digital Multiple Displacement Amplification

Due to the substantial heterogeneity among extracellular vesicle (EV) subpopulations, single-EV analysis has the potential to elucidate the mechanisms behind EV biogenesis and shed light on the myriad functions, leading to the development of novel diagnostics and therapeutics. While many studies have been devoted to reveal between-EV variations in surface proteins and RNAs, DNA cargos (EV-DNA) have received little attention. Here, we report a hydrogel-based droplet digital multiple displacement amplification approach for the comprehensive analysis of EV-DNA at the single-EV level. Single EVs are dispersed in thousands of hydrogel droplets and lysed for DNA amplification and identification. The droplet microfluidics strategy empowers the assay with single-molecule sensitivity and capability for absolute quantification of DNA-containing EVs. In particular, our findings indicate that 5-40% EVs are associated with DNA, depending on the cell of origin. Large EVs exhibit a higher proportion of DNA-containing EVs and a more substantial presence of intraluminal DNA, compared to small EVs. These DNA-containing EVs carry multiple DNA fragments on average. Furthermore, both double-stranded DNA and single-stranded DNA were able to be detected at the single-EV level. Utilizing this method, the abundance, distribution, and biophysical properties of EV-DNA in various EV populations are evaluated. The DNA level within EVs provides insight into the status of the originating cells and offers valuable information on the outcomes of anticancer treatments. The utilization of single-EV analysis for EV-DNA holds significant promise for early cancer detection and treatment response monitoring.

Macrophage-hitchhiked arsenic/AB bionic preparations for liver cancer

Macrophage-hitchhiked arsenic/AB bionic preparations were developed to improve the therapeutic effect on liver cancer by means of the tumor-targeting ability of macrophages in vivo. In vitro and in vivo cellular uptake assays demonstrated that arsenic/AB, with negatively charged particles of around 100-200 nm size, could hitchhike to macrophages. Dissolution experiments of arsenic/AB showed that arsenic/AB could delay the release of arsenic and ensure the safety of macrophages during its transport. Histological examination confirmed the safety of the preparations for major organs. In vivo distribution experiment showed that the arsenic/AB bionic preparations could rapidly accumulate in tumors, and in vivo treatment experiment showed a significant tumor inhibition of arsenic/AB. The therapeutic mechanism of liver cancer might be that the arsenic/AB bionic preparations could inhibit tumor growth by reducing inflammatory response and inhibiting CSF1 secretion to block CSF1R activation to induce more differentiation of tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) towards the anti-tumor M1 phenotype. Therefore, we concluded that the arsenic/AB bionic preparations could improve the distribution of arsenic in vivo by hitchhiking on macrophages as well as make it have tumor targeting and deep penetration abilities, thus increasing the therapeutic effect of arsenic on liver cancer with reduced side effects.

Extracellular Vesicle Heterogeneity and Its Impact for Regenerative Medicine Applications

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are cell-derived membrane-enclosed particles that are involved in physiologic and pathologic processes. EVs are increasingly being studied for therapeutic applications in the field of regenerative medicine. Therapeutic application of stem cell-derived EVs has shown great potential to stimulate tissue repair. However, the exact mechanisms through which they induce this effect have not been fully clarified. This may to a large extent be attributed to a lack of knowledge on EV heterogeneity. Recent studies suggest that EVs represent a heterogeneous population of vesicles with distinct functions. The heterogeneity of EVs can be attributed to differences in their biogenesis, and as such, they can be classified into distinct populations that can then be further subcategorized into various subpopulations. A better understanding of EV heterogeneity is crucial for elucidating their mechanisms of action in tissue regeneration. This review provides an overview of the latest insights on EV heterogeneity related to tissue repair, including the different characteristics that contribute to such heterogeneity and the functional differences among EV subtypes. It also sheds light on the challenges that hinder clinical translation of EVs. Additionally, innovative EV isolation techniques for studying EV heterogeneity are discussed. Improved knowledge of active EV subtypes would promote the development of tailored EV therapies and aid researchers in the translation of EV-based therapeutics to the clinic. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT: Within this review we discuss the differences in regenerative properties of extracellular vesicle (EV) subpopulations and implications of EV heterogeneity for development of EV-based therapeutics. We aim to provide new insights into which aspects are leading to heterogeneity in EV preparations and stress the importance of EV heterogeneity studies for clinical applications.

Biophysical Parameters of Plasma-Derived Extracellular Vesicles as Potential Biomarkers of Bone Disturbances in Breast Cancer Patients Receiving an Individualized Nutrition Intervention

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are implicated in several biological conditions, including bone metabolism disturbances in breast cancer patients (BCPs). These disorders hinder the adjustment of nutrition interventions due to changes in bone mineral density (BMD). The biophysical properties of EVs (e.g., size or electrostatic repulsion) affect their cellular uptake, however, their clinical relevance is unclear. In this study, we aimed to investigate the association between the biophysical properties of the plasma-derived EVs and BMDs in BCPs who received an individualized nutrition intervention during the first six months of antineoplastic treatment. As part of the nutritional assessment before and after the intervention, body composition including bone densitometry and plasma samples were obtained. In 16 BCPs, EVs were isolated using ExoQuick^® and their biophysical properties were analyzed using light-scattering techniques. We found that the average hydrodynamic diameter of large EVs was associated with femoral neck bone mineral content, lumbar spine BMD, and neoplasms' molecular subtypes. These results provide evidence that EVs play a role in BCPs' bone disorders and suggest that the biophysical properties of EVs may serve as potential nutritional biomarkers. Further studies are needed to evaluate EVs' biophysical properties as potential nutritional biomarkers in a clinical context.

Extracellular Vesicles and Their Zeta Potential as Future Markers Associated with Nutrition and Molecular Biomarkers in Breast Cancer

A nutritional intervention promotes the loss of body and visceral fat while maintaining muscle mass in breast cancer patients. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) and their characteristics can be potential biomarkers of disease. Here, we explore the changes in the Zeta potential of EVs; the content of miRNA-30, miRNA-145, and miRNA-155; and their association with body composition and biomarkers of metabolic risk in breast cancer patients, before and 6 months after a nutritional intervention. Clinicopathological data (HER2neu, estrogen receptor, and Ki67), anthropometric and body composition data, and plasma samples were available from a previous study. Plasma EVs were isolated and characterized in 16 patients. The expression of miRNA-30, miRNA-145, and miRNA-155 was analyzed. The Zeta potential was associated with HER2neu (β = 2.1; p = 0.00), Ki67 (β = -1.39; p = 0.007), estrogen positive (β = 1.57; p = 0.01), weight (β = -0.09; p = 0.00), and visceral fat (β = 0.004; p = 0.00). miRNA-30 was associated with LDL (β = -0.012; p = 0.01) and HDL (β = -0.02; p = 0.05). miRNA-155 was associated with visceral fat (β = -0.0007; p = 0.05) and Ki67 (β = -0.47; p = 0.04). Our results reveal significant associations between the expression of miRNA-30 and miRNA-155 and the Zeta potential of the EVs with biomarkers of metabolic risk and disease prognosis in women with breast cancer; particularly, the Zeta potential of EVs can be a new biomarker sensitive to changes in the nutritional status and breast cancer progression.

Interaction network of extracellular vesicles building universal analysis via eye tears: iNEBULA

Discovering the secrets of diseases from tear extracellular vesicles (EVs) is well-recognized and appreciated. However, a precise understanding of the interaction network between EV populations and their biogenesis from our body requires more in-depth and systematic analysis. Here, we report the biological profiles of different-size tear EV subsets from healthy individuals and the origins of EV proteins. We have identified about 1800 proteins and revealed the preferential differences in the biogenesis among distinct subsets. We observe that eye-related proteins that maintain retinal homeostasis and regulate inflammation are preferentially enriched in medium-size EVs (100 to 200 nm) fractions. Using universal analysis in combination with the Human Protein Atlas consensus dataset, we found the genesis of tear EV proteins with 37 tissues and 79 cell types. The proteins related to retinal neuronal cells, glial cells, and blood and immune cells are selectively enriched among EV subsets. Our studies in heterogeneous tear EVs provide building blocks for future transformative precision molecular diagnostics and therapeutics.

From Conventional to Microfluidic: Progress in Extracellular Vesicle Separation and Individual Characterization

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are nanoscale membrane vesicles, which contain a wide variety of cargo such as proteins, miRNAs, and lipids. A growing body of evidence suggests that EVs are promising biomarkers for disease diagnosis and therapeutic strategies. Although the excellent clinical value, their use in personalized healthcare practice is not yet feasible due to their highly heterogeneous nature. Taking the difficulty of isolation and the small size of EVs into account, the characterization of EVs at a single-particle level is both imperative and challenging. In a bid to address this critical point, more research has been directed into a microfluidic platform because of its inherent advantages in sensitivity, specificity, and throughput. This review discusses the biogenesis and heterogeneity of EVs and takes a broad view of state-of-the-art advances in microfluidics-based EV research, including not only EV separation, but also the single EV characterization of biophysical detection and biochemical analysis. To highlight the advantages of microfluidic techniques, conventional technologies are included for comparison. The current status of artificial intelligence (AI) for single EV characterization is then presented. Furthermore, the challenges and prospects of microfluidics and its combination with AI applications in single EV characterization are also discussed. In the foreseeable future, recent breakthroughs in microfluidic platforms are expected to pave the way for single EV analysis and improve applications for precision medicine.

Extracellular vesicles for precision medicine in prostate cancer - Is it ready for clinical translation?

Biofluid-based biomarker tests hold great promise for precision medicine in prostate cancer (PCa) clinical practice. Extracellular vesicles (EV) are established as intercellular messengers in cancer development with EV cargos, including protein and nucleic acids, having the potential to serve as biofluid-based biomarkers. Recent clinical studies have begun to evaluate EV-based biomarkers for PCa diagnosis, prognosis, and disease/therapy resistance monitoring. Promising results have led to PCa EV biomarker validation studies which are currently underway with the next challenge being translation to robust clinical assays. However, EV research studies generally use low throughput EV isolation methods and costly molecular profiling technologies that are not suitable for clinical assays. Here, we consider the technical hurdles in translating EV biomarker research findings into precise and cost-effective clinical biomarker assays. Novel microfluidic devices coupling EV extraction with sensitive antibody-based biomarker detection are already being explored for point-of-care applications for rapid provision in personalised medicine approaches.

Advances in exosome analysis

There is growing demand for novel biomarkers that detect early stage disease as well as monitor clinical management and therapeutic strategies. Exosome analysis could provide the next advance in attaining that goal. Exosomes are membrane encapsulated biologic nanometric-sized particles of endocytic origin which are released by all cell types. Unfortunately, exosomes are exceptionally challenging to characterize with current technologies. Exosomes are between 30 and 200nm in diameter, a size that makes them out of the sensitivity range to most cell-oriented sorting or analysis platforms, i.e., traditional flow cytometers. The most common methods for targeting exosomes to date typically involve purification followed by the characterization and the specific determination of their cargo. The whole procedure is time consuming, requiring thus skilled personnel as well as laboratory facilities and benchtop instrumentation. The most relevant methodology for exosome isolation, characterization and quantification is addressed in this chapter, including the most up-to-date approaches to explore the potential usefulness of exosomes as biomarkers in liquid biopsies and in advanced nanomedicine.

Analysis of the Significance of miR-141 and CD147 Expression in Bladder Cancer Cells and Its Relationship with Tumor Grade

The study analyzes the significance of miR-141 and extracellular matrix metalloproteinase-induced molecule (CD147) in bladder cancer cells and their correlation with tumor grade. A total of 87 bladder cancer patients for diagnosis and treatment from August 2020 to August 2021 are selected. All patients underwent pathological biopsy, and their cancer tissues and adjacent tissue cells are extracted. RT-PCR is used to complete the miR-141 relative expression level, and the immunohistochemical method is used to detect the expression of CD147 in patients. The miR-141 and CD147-positive rates are compared, and the relative expression levels of miR-141 and CD147-positive rates in cells of different tumor grades are compared. Spearman correlation coefficient is used to analyze the correlation of CD147 and bladder cancer. The prognosis of patients with different expression levels of miR-141 and CD147 is compared. Both miR-141 and CD147 are highly expressed in bladder cancer tissues, and their expression levels are significantly different from those of normal adjacent cells. In addition, the above two indicators are closely related to and related to the tumor grade of bladder cancer patients, and the high expression of miR-141 and CD147 brings the poor prognosis effect to bladder cancer patients.

Automated Centrifugal Microfluidic Chip Integrating Pretreatment and Molecular Diagnosis for Hepatitis B Virus Genotyping from Whole Blood

Point-of-care (POC) testing for nucleic acid that combines pretreatment and molecular diagnosis is crucial in analyzing complex samples such as those encountered in clinical diagnosis. Herein, we developed a centrifugal microfluidic platform, which can achieve a series of functions including separating serum and adsorbing, washing, eluting, and detecting DNA. We combined multiple signal enhancement systems including recombinase polymerase amplification (RPA), T7 transcription technology, and clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat (CRISPR) technology to yield an ultrabright signal, which can avoid false-negative results. As an application, hepatitis B virus (HBV), a virus that causes global public health problems, was successfully detected and genotyped from whole blood on the automated centrifugal microfluidic platform. Compared to the traditional diagnosis process, the POC platform largely decreased the consumption of time from 3 to 1 h and the consumption of professional labor from three persons to only one. The automated centrifugal microfluidic platform integrated pretreatment and molecular diagnosis will play an essential role in clinical detection.

Progress in Nanomaterials-Based Optical and Electrochemical Methods for the Assays of Exosomes

Exosomes with diameters of 30-150 nm are small membrane-bound vesicles secreted by a variety of cells. They play an important role in many biological processes, such as tumor-related immune response and intercellular signal transduction. Exosomes have been considered as emerging and noninvasive biomarkers for cancer diagnosis. Recently, a large number of optical and electrochemical biosensors have been proposed for sensitive detection of exosomes. To meet the increasing demands for ultrasensitive detection, nanomaterials have been integrated with various techniques as powerful components. Because of their intrinsic merits of biological compatibility, excellent physicochemical features and unique catalytic ability, nanomaterials have significantly improved the analytical performances of exosome biosensors. In this review, we summarized the recent progress in nanomaterials-based biosensors for the detection of cancer-derived exosomes, including fluorescence, colorimetry, surface plasmon resonance spectroscopy, surface enhanced Raman scattering spectroscopy, electrochemistry, electrochemiluminescence and so on.

Lab-on-a-Disc for Point-of-Care Infection Diagnostics

Reliable, inexpensive, and rapid diagnostic tools are essential to control and prevent the spread of infectious diseases. Many commercial kits for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) diagnostics have played a crucial role in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. Most current standard in vitro diagnostic (IVD) protocols for infectious diseases are sensitive but time-consuming and require sophisticated laboratory equipment and specially trained personnel. Recent advances in biosensor technology suggest the potential to deliver point-of-care (POC) diagnostics that are affordable and provide accurate results in a short time. The ideal "sample-in-answer-out" type fully integrated POC infection diagnostic platforms are expected to be autonomous or easy-to-operate, equipment-free or infrastructure-independent, and high-throughput or easy to upscale. In this Account, we detail the recent progress made by our group and others in the development of centrifugal microfluidic devices or lab-on-a-disc (LOAD) systems. Unlike conventional pump-based fluid actuation, the centrifugal force generated by spinning the disc induces liquid pumping and no external fluidic interconnects are required. This allows a total fluidic network required for multiple steps of biological assays to be integrated on a disc, enabling fully automated POC diagnostics. Various applications have been demonstrated, including liquid biopsy for personalized cancer management, food applications, and environmental monitoring; here, we focus on IVD for infectious disease. First, we introduce various on-disc unit operation technologies, including reagent storage, sedimentation, filtration, valving, decanting, aliquoting, mixing, separation, serial dilution, washing, and calibration. Such centrifugal microfluidic technologies have already proved promising for micro-total-analysis systems for automated IVD ranging from molecular detection of pathogens to multiplexed enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) that use raw samples such as whole blood or saliva. Some recent examples of LOAD systems for molecular diagnostics in which some or all steps of the assays are integrated on a disc, including pathogen enrichment, nucleic acid extraction, amplification, and detection, are discussed in detail. We then introduce fully automated ELISA systems with enhanced sensitivity. Furthermore, we demonstrate a toy-inspired fidget spinner that enables electricity-free and rapid analysis of pathogens from undiluted urine samples of patients with urinary tract infection symptoms and a phenotypic antimicrobial susceptibility test for an extreme POC diagnostics application. Considering the urgent need for cost-effective and reliable POC infection diagnostic tools, especially in the current pandemic crisis, the current limitations and future directions of fast and broad adaptation in real-world settings are also discussed. With proper attention to key challenges and leverage with recent advances in bio-sensing technologies, molecular biology, nanomaterials, analytical chemistry, miniaturization, system integration, and data management, LOAD systems hold the potential to deliver POC infection diagnostic tools with unprecedented performance regarding time, accuracy, and cost. We hope the new insight and promise of LOAD systems for POC infection diagnostics presented in this Account can spark new ideas and inspire further research and development to create better healthcare systems for current and future pandemics.

Advanced Nanotechnologies for Extracellular Vesicle-Based Liquid Biopsy

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are emerging as a new source of biomarkers in liquid biopsy because of their wide presence in most body fluids and their ability to load cargoes from disease-related cells. Owing to the crucial role of EVs in disease diagnosis and treatment, significant efforts have been made to isolate, detect, and analyze EVs with high efficiency. A recent overview of advanced EV detection nanotechnologies is discussed here. First, several key challenges in EV-based liquid biopsies are introduced. Then, the related pivotal advances in nanotechnologies for EV isolation based on physical features, chemical affinity, and the combination of nanostructures and chemical affinity are summarized. Next, a summary of high-sensitivity sensors for EV detection and advanced approaches for single EV detection are provided. Later, EV analysis is introduced in practical clinical scenarios, and the application of machine learning in this field is highlighted. Finally, future opportunities for the development of next-generation nanotechnologies for EV detection are presented.

Bottom-up assembly of biomedical relevant fully synthetic extracellular vesicles

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are fundamental for intercellular communication and influence nearly every process in cell physiology. However, because of their intricate molecular complexity, quantitative knowledge on their signaling mechanisms is missing, particularly impeding their therapeutic application. We used a complementary and quantitative engineering approach based on sequential synthetic bottom-up assembly of fully functional EVs with precisely controlled lipid, protein, and RNA composition. We show that the functionalities of synthetic EVs are analogous to natural EVs and demonstrate their programmable therapeutic administration for wound healing and neovascularization therapy. We apply transcriptome profiling to systematically decode synergistic effects between individual EV constituents, enabling analytical dissection and a fundamental understanding of EV signaling.

Exosomal delivery of therapeutic modulators through the blood-brain barrier; promise and pitfalls

Nowadays, a large population around the world, especially the elderly, suffers from neurological inflammatory and degenerative disorders/diseases. Current drug delivery strategies are facing different challenges because of the presence of the BBB, which limits the transport of various substances and cells to brain parenchyma. Additionally, the low rate of successful cell transplantation to the brain injury sites leads to efforts to find alternative therapies. Stem cell byproducts such as exosomes are touted as natural nano-drug carriers with 50-100 nm in diameter. These nano-sized particles could harbor and transfer a plethora of therapeutic agents and biological cargos to the brain. These nanoparticles would offer a solution to maintain paracrine cell-to-cell communications under healthy and inflammatory conditions. The main question is that the existence of the intact BBB could limit exosomal trafficking. Does BBB possess some molecular mechanisms that facilitate the exosomal delivery compared to the circulating cell? Although preliminary studies have shown that exosomes could cross the BBB, the exact molecular mechanism(s) beyond this phenomenon remains unclear. In this review, we tried to compile some facts about exosome delivery through the BBB and propose some mechanisms that regulate exosomal cross in pathological and physiological conditions.

Fostering "Education": Do Extracellular Vesicles Exploit Their Own Delivery Code?

Extracellular vesicles (EVs), comprising large microvesicles (MVs) and exosomes (EXs), play a key role in intercellular communication, both in physiological and in a wide variety of pathological conditions. However, the education of EV target cells has so far mainly been investigated as a function of EX cargo, while few studies have focused on the characterization of EV surface membrane molecules and the mechanisms that mediate the addressability of specific EVs to different cell types and tissues. Identifying these mechanisms will help fulfill the diagnostic, prognostic, and therapeutic promises fueled by our growing knowledge of EVs. In this review, we first discuss published studies on the presumed EV “delivery code” and on the combinations of the hypothesized EV surface membrane “sender” and “recipient” molecules that may mediate EV targeting in intercellular communication. Then we briefly review the main experimental approaches and techniques, and the bioinformatic tools that can be used to identify and characterize the structure and functional role of EV surface membrane molecules. In the final part, we present innovative techniques and directions for future research that would improve and deepen our understandings of EV-cell targeting.

Detection and Investigation of Extracellular Vesicles in Serum and Urine Supernatant of Prostate Cancer Patients

Prostate Cancer (PCa) is one of the most frequently identified urological cancers. PCa patients are often over-diagnosed due to still not highly specific diagnostic methods. The need for more accurate diagnostic tools to prevent overestimated diagnosis and unnecessary treatment of patients with non-malignant conditions is clear, and new markers and methods are strongly desirable. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) hold great promises as liquid biopsy-based markers. Despite the biological and technical issues present in their detection and study, these particles can be found highly abundantly in the biofluid and encompass a wealth of macromolecules that have been reported to be related to many physiological and pathological processes, including cancer onset, metastasis spreading, and treatment resistance. The present study aims to perform a technical feasibility study to develop a new workflow for investigating EVs from several biological sources. Serum and urinary supernatant EVs of PCa, benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) patients, and healthy donors were isolated and investigated by a fast, easily performable, and cost-effective cytofluorimetric approach for a multiplex detection of 37 EV-antigens. We also observed significant alterations in serum and urinary supernatant EVs potentially related to BPH and PCa, suggesting a potential clinical application of this workflow.

Myeloid Cell Modulation by Tumor-Derived Extracellular Vesicles

Extracellular vesicles (EV) can carry proteins, RNA and DNA, thus serving as communication tools between cells. Tumor cells secrete EV, which can be taken up by surrounding cells in the tumor microenvironment as well as by cells in distant organs. Tumor-derived EV (TEV) contain factors induced by tumor-associated hypoxia such as heat shock proteins or a variety of microRNA (miRNA). The interaction of TEV with tumor and host cells can promote cancer angiogenesis, invasion and metastasis. Myeloid cells are widely presented in tissues, comprise the majority of immune cells and play an essential role in immune reactions and tissue remodeling. However, in cancer, the differentiation of myeloid cells and their functions are impaired, resulting in tumor promotion. Such alterations are due to chronic inflammatory conditions associated with cancer and are mediated by the tumor secretome, including TEV. A high capacity of myeloid cells to clear EV from circulation put them in the central position in EV-mediated formation of pre-metastatic niches. The exposure of myeloid cells to TEV could trigger numerous signaling pathways. Progenitors of myeloid cells alter their differentiation upon the contact with TEV, resulting in the generation of myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSC), inhibiting anti-tumor function of T and natural killer (NK) cells and promoting thereby tumor progression. Furthermore, TEV can augment MDSC immunosuppressive capacity. Different subsets of mature myeloid cells such as monocytes, macrophages, dendritic cells (DC) and granulocytes take up TEV and acquire a protumorigenic phenotype. However, the delivery of tumor antigens to DC by TEV was shown to enhance their immunostimulatory capacity. The present review will discuss a diverse and complex EV-mediated crosstalk between tumor and myeloid cells in the context of the tumor type, TEV-associated cargo molecules and type of recipient cells.