Simple and fast isolation of circulating exosomes with a chitosan modified shuttle flow microchip for breast cancer diagnosis

A microfluidic-based chemiluminescence biosensor for sensitive multiplex detection of exosomal microRNAs based on hybridization chain reaction

The analysis of microRNAs (miRNAs) in exosomes is of great importance for noninvasive early disease diagnosis. However, current techniques to detect exosomal miRNAs is hampered either by laborious exosome isolation or low abundance of miRNAs in exosomes. Here, we developed a microfluidic chemiluminescence (CL) analysis method for the multiplexed detection of exosomal miR-21 and miR-155. The microfluidic device contained three parts: a snake-shaped channel for fully mixing chemiluminescent reagents, a ship-shaped channel modified with CD63 protein aptamer for capturing exosomes, and another two parallel ship-shaped channels for hybridization chain reaction (HCR) amplification and CL detection. The multiple signal amplification was realized by Y-shaped arrays, HCR amplification, and poly-HRP catalyzed CL reaction. Using this multiple signal amplification method, our microfluidic CL biosensor achieves a limit of detection of miRNAs of 0.49 fM, with a linear range of 1 fM-10 pM, which is better or comparable to previously reported biosensors. What's more, the proposed microfluidic biosensor exhibits great specificity and selectivity to the target miRNA. Moreover, the microfluidic CL strategy exhibited excellent accuracy and could significantly distinguish different cancer subtypes as well as cancer patients and healthy people. These results suggest that this simple, high sensitive, and more accurate analytical strategy by analyzing different types of exosomal miRNAs has the potential applications in cancer diagnosis and stage monitoring.

Extracellular Vesicles: Diagnostic and Therapeutic Applications in Cancer

In recent years, knowledge of cell-released extracellular vesicle (EV) functions has undergone rapid growth. EVs are membrane vesicles loaded with proteins, nucleic acids, lipids, and bioactive molecules. Once released into the extracellular space, EVs are delivered to target cells that may go through modifications in physiological or pathological conditions. EVs are nano shuttles with a crucial role in promoting short- and long-distance cell-cell communication. Comprehension of the mechanism that regulates this process is a benefit for both medicine and basic science. Currently, EVs attract immense interest in precision and nanomedicine for their potential use in diagnosis, prognosis, and therapies. This review reports the latest advances in EV studies, focusing on the nature and features of EVs and on conventional and emerging methodologies used for their separation, characterization, and visualization. By searching an extended portion of the relevant literature, this work aims to give a summary of advances in nanomedical applications of EVs. Moreover, concerns that require further studies before translation to clinical applications are discussed.

From sequencing to validation: NGS-based exploration of plasma miRNA in papillary thyroid carcinoma

Objective

A non-invasive method using plasma microRNAs provides new insights into thyroid cancer diagnosis. The objective of this study was to discover potential circulating biomarkers of papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) through the analysis of plasma miRNAs using next-generation sequencing (NGS).

Methods

Plasma miRNAs were isolated from peripheral blood samples collected from healthy individuals, patients diagnosed with PTC, and those with benign thyroid nodules. The Illumina NovaSeq 6000 platform was employed to establish the miRNA expression profiles. Candidate miRNAs for diagnostic purposes were identified utilizing the Random Forest (RF) algorithm. The selected miRNAs were subsequently validated in an independent validation set using RT-qPCR.

Results

NGS results revealed consistent plasma miRNA expression patterns among healthy individuals and patients with benign thyroid nodules in the discovery set (6 healthy cases, 17 benign cases), while differing significantly from those observed in the PTC group (17 PTC cases). Seven miRNAs exhibiting significant expression differences were identified and utilized to construct an RF classifier. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis for PTC diagnosis, and the area under the curve (AUC) was 0.978. Subsequent KEGG and GO analyses of the target genes associated with these 7 miRNAs highlighted pathways relevant to tumors and the cell cycle. Independent validation through RT-qPCR in a separate cohort (15 CONTROL, 15 PTC groups) underscored hsa-miR-301a-3p and hsa-miR-195-5p as promising candidates for PTC diagnosis.

Conclusion

In conclusion, our study established a seven-miRNA panel in plasma by Random Forest algorithm with significant performance in discriminating PTC from healthy or benign group. hsa-miR-301a-3p, hsa-miR-195-5p in plasma have potential for further study in the diagnosis of PTC in Asian ethnic.

Development and characterization of ferulic acid-loaded chitosan nanoparticle embedded- hydrogel for diabetic wound delivery

Diabetic wounds present a significant global health challenge exacerbated by chronic hyperglycemia-induced oxidative stress, impeding the natural healing process. Despite various treatment strategies, diabetic foot ulceration lacks standardized therapy. Ferulic acid (FA), known for its potent antidiabetic and antioxidant properties, holds promise for diabetic wound management. However, oral administration of FA faces limitations due to rapid oxidation, stability issues, and low bioavailability. The topical application of FA-loaded chitosan nanoparticles (FA-CSNPs) has emerged as a promising approach to overcome these challenges. Here, we report the development of a sustained-release formulation of FA-CSNPs within a hydrogel matrix composed of Chitosan and gelatin. The FA-CSNPs were synthesized using the ionic gelation method andoptimized through a Central Composite Design (CCD) approach. Characterization of the optimized nanoparticles revealed spherical morphology, a particle size of 56.9 ± 2.5 nm, and an impressive entrapment efficiency of 90.3 ± 2.4 %. Subsequently, an FA-CSNPs-loaded hydrogel was formulated, incorporating chitosan as a gelling agent, gelatin to enhance mechanical properties and cell permeation, and glutaraldehyde as a cross-linker. Comprehensive characterization of the hydrogel included pH, moisture loss, porosity, swelling index, rheology, water vapor transmission rate (WVTR), SEM, TEM, invitro drug release studies, antioxidant activity, antibacterial efficacy, cell cytotoxicity, cell migration studies on L929 fibroblast cell line, and stability studies. The stability study demonstrated negligible variations in particle size, zeta potential, and entrapment efficiency over 60 days, ensuring the stable nature of nanoparticles and hydrogel. This innovative delivery approach embedded within a hydrogel matrix holds significant promise for enhancing the therapeutic efficacy of FA-CSNPs-hydrogel in diabetic wound healing applications.

Enhanced immune capture of extracellular vesicles with gelatin nanoparticles and acoustic mixing

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) originating from cancer cells incorporate various critical biomolecules that can aid in early cancer diagnosis. However, the rapid analysis of these micro vesicles remains challenging due to their nano-scale size and overlapping dimensions, hindering sufficient capture in terms of quantity and purity. In this study, an acoustofluidic device was developed to enhance the yield of immune-captured EVs. The channel of the device was modified with degradable gelatin nanoparticles (∼220 nm) to increase the surface roughness, and subsequently treated with CD63 antibodies. The acoustic-induced streaming would prolong the rotation time of the EVs in the targeted continuous flow area, improving their aggregation towards the surrounding pillars and subsequent capture by the specific CD63 antibodies. Consequently, the capture efficiency of the device was improved when the signal was on, as evidenced by enhanced fluorescence intensity in the main channel. It is demonstrated that the acoustofluidic device could enhance the immune capture of EVs through acoustic mixing, showcasing great potential in the rapid and fast detection of EVs in liquid biopsy applications.

Breast cancer derived exosomes: Theragnostic perspectives and implications

Breast cancer (BC) is the most prevalent malignancy affecting women worldwide. Although conventional treatments such as chemotherapy, surgery, hormone therapy, radiation therapy, and biological therapy are commonly used, they often entail significant side effects. Therefore, there is a critical need to investigate more cost-effective and efficient treatment modalities in BC. Extracellular vesicles (EVs), including exosomes, microvesicles, and apoptotic bodies, play a crucial role in modulating recipient cell behaviour and driving cancer progression. Among the EVs, exosomes provide valuable insights into cellular dynamics under both healthy and diseased conditions. In cancer, exosomes play a critical role in driving tumor progression and facilitating the development of drug resistance. BC-derived exosomes (BCex) dynamically influence BC progression by regulating cell proliferation, immunosuppression, angiogenesis, metastasis, and the development of treatment resistance. Additionally, BCex serve as promising diagnostic markers in BC which are detectable in bodily fluids such as urine and saliva. Targeted manipulation of BCex holds significant therapeutic potential. This review explores the therapeutic and diagnostic implications of exosomes in BC, underscoring their relevance to the disease. Furthermore, it discusses future directions for exosome-based research in BC, emphasizing the necessity for further exploration in this area.

A bioactive composite hydrogel dressing that promotes healing of both acute and chronic diabetic skin wounds

Mesenchymal stem cell derived exosomes (MSC-Exos) demonstrate beneficial effects on wound healing via anti-inflammatory and angiogenic properties. Chitosan (CS) exhibits excellent biocompatibility and accelerates cellular migration, adhesion, and proliferation. The ions released from bioactive glass (BG) and titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanoparticles exhibit sustained angiogenic and antibacterial potency. In this study, CMCS-CEBT hydrogel was synthesized from exosomes encapsulated carboxymethyl chitosan (CMCS), chitosan nanoparticles (CS-NPs), BG, and TiO2 nanoparticles for a preliminary evaluation of its impacts on the treatment of full-thickness skin defects, diabetic wounds, and burn skin injury due to burns. In vitro analysis indicated that the hydrogel exhibits excellent cell compatibility, stimulates endothelial cell adhesion and proliferation, and presents anti-inflammatory, angiogenic, and antibacterial activities. In vivo, the composite hydrogel dressing accelerated a wound healing acceleration effect, stimulated angiogenesis, and increased collagen deposition and the expression of anti-inflammatory factors. This innovative composite hydrogel dressing as a potential clinical therapy, utilizing bioactive materials, holds promise as a potential clinical therapy that aims to facilitate the regeneration of acute and chronically damaged skin tissue.

The emerging role of exosomes in communication between the periphery and the central nervous system

Exosomes, membrane-enclosed vesicles, are secreted by all types of cells. Exosomes can transport various molecules, including proteins, lipids, functional mRNAs, and microRNAs, and can be circulated to various recipient cells, leading to the production of local paracrine or distal systemic effects. Numerous studies have proved that exosomes can pass through the blood-brain barrier, thus, enabling the transfer of peripheral substances into the central nervous system (CNS). Consequently, exosomes may be a vital factor in the exchange of information between the periphery and CNS. This review will discuss the structure, biogenesis, and functional characterization of exosomes and summarize the role of peripheral exosomes deriving from tissues like the lung, gut, skeletal muscle, and various stem cell types in communicating with the CNS and influencing the brain's function. Then, we further discuss the potential therapeutic effects of exosomes in brain diseases and the clinical opportunities and challenges. Gaining a clearer insight into the communication between the CNS and the external areas of the body will help us to ascertain the role of the peripheral elements in the maintenance of brain health and illness and will facilitate the design of minimally invasive techniques for diagnosing and treating brain diseases.

Core-Shell Droplet-Based Microfluidic Screening System for Filamentous Fungi

Filamentous fungi are competitive hosts for the production of drugs, proteins, and chemicals. However, their utility is limited by screening methods and low throughput. In this work, a universal high-throughput system for optimizing protein production in filamentous fungi was described. Droplet microfluidics was used to encapsulate large mutant strain pools in biocompatible core-shell microdroplets designed to avoid mycelial punctures and thus sustain prolonged culture. The self-assembled split GFP was then used to characterize the secretory capacity of the strains and isolate strains with superior production titers according to the fluorescence signals. The platform was applied to optimize the α-amylase secretion of Aspergillus niger, resulting in the isolation of a strain with 2.02-fold higher secretion capacity. The system allows the analysis of >105 single cells per h and will facilitate ultrahigh-throughput screening experiments of filamentous fungi. This method could help identify improved hosts for the large-scale production of biotechnology-relevant proteins. This is a broadly applicable system that can be equally used in other hosts.

Magnetic Janus origami robot for cross-scale droplet omni-manipulation

The versatile manipulation of cross-scale droplets is essential in many fields. Magnetic excitation is widely used for droplet manipulation due to its distinguishing merits. However, facile magnetic actuation strategies are still lacked to realize versatile multiscale droplet manipulation. Here, a type of magnetically actuated Janus origami robot is readily fabricated for versatile cross-scale droplet manipulation including three-dimensional transport, merging, splitting, dispensing and release of daughter droplets, stirring and remote heating. The robot allows untethered droplet manipulation from ~3.2 nL to ~51.14 μL. It enables splitting of droplet, precise dispensing (minimum of ~3.2 nL) and release (minimum of ~30.2 nL) of daughter droplets. The combination of magnetically controlled rotation and photothermal properties further endows the robot with the ability to stir and heat droplets remotely. Finally, the application of the robot in polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is explored. The extraction and purification of nucleic acids can be successfully achieved.

Lab-on-a-chip systems for cancer biomarker diagnosis

Lab-on-a-chip (LOC) or micro total analysis system is one of the microfluidic technologies defined as the adaptation, miniaturization, integration, and automation of analytical laboratory procedures into a single instrument or "chip". In this article, we review developments over the past five years in the application of LOC biosensors for the detection of different types of cancer. Microfluidics encompasses chemistry and biotechnology skills and has revolutionized healthcare diagnosis. Superior to traditional cell culture or animal models, microfluidic technology has made it possible to reconstruct functional units of organs on chips to study human diseases such as cancer. LOCs have found numerous biomedical applications over the past five years, including integrated bioassays, cell analysis, metabolomics, drug discovery and delivery systems, tissue and organ physiology and disease modeling, and personalized medicine. This review provides an overview of the latest developments in microfluidic-based cancer research, with pros, cons, and prospects.

Magnetic-nanowaxberry-based microfluidic ExoSIC for affinity and continuous separation of circulating exosomes towards cancer diagnosis

Exosomes are seen as promising biomarkers for minimally invasive liquid biopsies and disease surveillance. However, the complexity of body fluids, inherent heterogeneity, and tiny size of exosomes impede their extraction, consequently restricting their clinical application. In this study, in order to efficiently isolate exosomes from clinical samples, an irregular serpentine channel microfluidic chip (ExoSIC) was designed to continuously separate exosomes from plasma based on a magnetic-nanowaxberry (MNWB). In the ExoSIC, irregular serpentine microchannels are utilized to increase fluid chaotic mixing, hence improving exosome capture efficiency. In comparison to commonly used spherical magnetic particles, the designed MNWB can not only enhance the capture efficiency of exosomes, but also possess a size-exclusion effect to improve exosome purity. Consequently, the ExoSIC exhibited a large yield (24 times higher than differential centrifugation), optimum purity (greater than precipitation and similar to differential centrifugation), and high specificity. Furthermore, the ExoSIC was utilized for plasma-based cancer diagnosis by multiplex monitoring of five exosomal biomarkers (exosomal concentration, EGFR, EpCAM, SAA1 and FV), and the AUC reached 0.791. This work provides a comprehensive framework for exosome-based cancer diagnostics in order to meet clinical requirements for exosome isolation and downstream analysis.

Identification of novel miRNAs potentially involved in the pathogenesis of adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma using WGCNA followed by RT-qPCR test of hub genes

BACKGROUND

Adult T-cell Lymphoma/Leukemia (ATLL) is characterized by the malignant proliferation of T-cells in Human T-Lymphotropic Virus Type 1 and a high mortality rate. Considering the emerging roles of microRNAs (miRNAs) in various malignancies, the analysis of high-throughput miRNA data employing computational algorithms helps to identify potential biomarkers.

METHODS

Weighted gene co-expression network analysis was utilized to analyze miRNA microarray data from ATLL and healthy uninfected samples. To identify miRNAs involved in the progression of ATLL, module preservation analysis was used. Subsequently, based on the target genes of the identified miRNAs, the STRING database was employed to construct protein-protein interaction networks (PPIN). Real-time quantitative PCR was also performed to validate the expression of identified hub genes in the PPIN network.

RESULTS

After constructing co-expression modules and then performing module preservation analysis, four out of 15 modules were determined as ATLL-specific modules. Next, the hub miRNA including hsa-miR-18a-3p, has-miR-187-5p, hsa-miR-196a-3p, and hsa-miR-346 were found as hub miRNAs. The protein-protein interaction networks were constructed for the target genes of each hub miRNA and hub genes were identified. Among them, UBB, RPS15A, and KMT2D were validated by Reverse-transcriptase PCR in ATLL patients.

CONCLUSION

The results of the network analysis of miRNAs and their target genes revealed the major players in the pathogenesis of ATLL. Further studies are required to confirm the role of these molecular factors and to discover their potential benefits as treatment targets and diagnostic biomarkers.

Research Development on Exosome Separation Technology

Exosomes are special extracellular vesicles secreted by cells, which are of great significance in the basic research of life science and clinical application and has become a hot research field with rapid development in recent 10 years. Therefore, the isolation and separation of exosomes is particularly important for the research and application of exosomes. This paper aims to review the research progress of exosome isolation and separation methods in recent years, including ultracentrifugation, ultrafiltration, size‑exclusion chromatography, precipitation, immunomagnetic bead capture method, aptamer-based isolation, and isolation methods based on microfluidic technology. It is generally accepted that most of the existing methods have limitations, for example, ultracentrifugation is time-consuming and laborious, and immunomagnetic bead capture method and aptamer-based separation method have small sample processing capacity and high cost. As a result, we also introduce some common situations in which two or more methods are combined for use. Finally, the separation and isolation methods including all those presented in this review were compared and summarized.

Advances in Extracellular Vesicle Nanotechnology for Precision Theranostics

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) have increasingly been recognized as important cell surrogates influencing many pathophysiological processes, including cellular homeostasis, cancer progression, neurologic disease, and infectious disease. These behaviors enable EVs broad application prospects for clinical application in disease diagnosis and treatment. Many studies suggest that EVs are superior to conventional synthetic carriers in terms of drug delivery and circulating biomarkers for early disease diagnosis, opening up new frontiers for modern theranostics. Despite these clinical potential, EVs containing diverse cellular components, such as nucleic acids, proteins, and metabolites are highly heterogeneous and small size. The limitation of preparatory, engineering and analytical technologies for EVs poses technical barriers to clinical translation. This article aims at present a critical overview of emerging technologies in EVs field for biomedical applications and challenges involved in their clinic translations. The current methods for isolation and identification of EVs are discussed. Additionally, engineering strategies developed to enhance scalable production and improved cargo loading as well as tumor targeting are presented. The superior clinical potential of EVs, particularly in terms of different cell origins and their application in the next generation of diagnostic and treatment platforms, are clarified.

Microfluidic Strategies for Extracellular Vesicle Isolation: Towards Clinical Applications

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are double-layered lipid membrane vesicles released by cells. Currently, EVs are attracting a lot of attention in the biological and medical fields due to their role as natural carriers of proteins, lipids, and nucleic acids. Thus, they can transport useful genomic information from their parental cell through body fluids, promoting cell-to-cell communication even between different organs. Due to their functionality as cargo carriers and their protein expression, they can play an important role as possible diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers in various types of diseases, e.g., cancers, neurodegenerative, and autoimmune diseases. Today, given the invaluable importance of EVs, there are some pivotal challenges to overcome in terms of their isolation. Conventional methods have some limitations: they are influenced by the starting sample, might present low throughput and low purity, and sometimes a lack of reproducibility, being operator dependent. During the past few years, several microfluidic approaches have been proposed to address these issues. In this review, we summarize the most important microfluidic-based devices for EV isolation, highlighting their advantages and disadvantages compared to existing technology, as well as the current state of the art from the perspective of the use of these devices in clinical applications.

Addressing the Clinical Feasibility of Adopting Circulating miRNA for Breast Cancer Detection, Monitoring and Management with Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning Platforms

Detecting breast cancer (BC) at the initial stages of progression has always been regarded as a lifesaving intervention. With modern technology, extensive studies have unraveled the complexity of BC, but the current standard practice of early breast cancer screening and clinical management of cancer progression is still heavily dependent on tissue biopsies, which are invasive and limited in capturing definitive cancer signatures for more comprehensive applications to improve outcomes in BC care and treatments. In recent years, reviews and studies have shown that liquid biopsies in the form of blood, containing free circulating and exosomal microRNAs (miRNAs), have become increasingly evident as a potential minimally invasive alternative to tissue biopsy or as a complement to biomarkers in assessing and classifying BC. As such, in this review, the potential of miRNAs as the key BC signatures in liquid biopsy are addressed, including the role of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning platforms (ML), in capitalizing on the big data of miRNA for a more comprehensive assessment of the cancer, leading to practical clinical utility in BC management.

Tumor microenvironment penetrating chitosan nanoparticles for elimination of cancer relapse and minimal residual disease

Chitosan and its derivatives are among biomaterials with numerous medical applications, especially in cancer. Chitosan is amenable to forming innumerable shapes such as micelles, niosomes, hydrogels, nanoparticles, and scaffolds, among others. Chitosan derivatives can also bring unprecedented potential to cross numerous biological barriers. Combined with other biomaterials, hybrid and multitasking chitosan-based systems can be realized for many applications. These include controlled drug release, targeted drug delivery, post-surgery implants (immunovaccines), theranostics, biosensing of tumor-derived circulating materials, multimodal systems, and combination therapy platforms with the potential to eliminate bulk tumors as well as lingering tumor cells to treat minimal residual disease (MRD) and recurrent cancer. We first introduce different formats, derivatives, and properties of chitosan. Next, given the barriers to therapeutic efficacy in solid tumors, we review advanced formulations of chitosan modules as efficient drug delivery systems to overcome tumor heterogeneity, multi-drug resistance, MRD, and metastasis. Finally, we discuss chitosan NPs for clinical translation and treatment of recurrent cancer and their future perspective.

Effective Separation of Cancer-Derived Exosomes in Biological Samples for Liquid Biopsy: Classic Strategies and Innovative Development

Liquid biopsy has remarkably facilitated clinical diagnosis and surveillance of cancer via employing a non-invasive way to detect cancer-derived components, such as circulating tumor DNA and circulating tumor cells from biological fluid samples. The cancer-derived exosomes, which are nano-sized vesicles secreted by cancer cells have been investigated in liquid biopsy as their important roles in intracellular communication and disease development have been revealed. Given the challenges posed by the complicated humoral microenvironment, which contains a variety of different cells and macromolecular substances in addition to the exosomes, it has attracted a large amount of attention to effectively isolate exosomes from collected samples. In this review, the authors aim to analyze classic strategies for separation of cancer-derived exosomes, giving an extensive discussion of advantages and limitations of these methods. Furthermore, the innovative multi-strategy methods to realize efficient isolation of cancer-derived exosomes in practical applications are also presented. Additionally, the possible development trends of exosome separation in to the future is discussed in this review.

Current status and outlook of advances in exosome isolation

Exosomes are extracellular vesicles with a diameter ranging from 30 to 150 nm, which are an important medium for intercellular communication and are closely related to the progression of certain diseases. Therefore, exosomes are considered promising biomarkers for the diagnosis of specific diseases, and thereby, treatments based on exosomes are being widely examined. For exosome-related research, a rapid, simple, high-purity, and recovery isolation method is the primary prerequisite for exosomal large-scale application in medical practice. Although there are no standardized methods for exosome separation and analysis, various techniques have been established to explore their biochemical and physicochemical properties. In this review, we analyzed the progress in exosomal isolation strategies and proposed our views on the development prospects of various exosomal isolation techniques.

miRNAs in Cancer (Review of Literature)

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are short, noncoding, single-stranded RNA molecules that regulate gene expression at the post-transcriptional level by binding to mRNAs. miRNAs affect the course of processes of fundamental importance for the proper functioning of the organism. These processes include cell division, proliferation, differentiation, cell apoptosis and the formation of blood vessels. Altered expression of individual miRNAs has been shown in numerous cancers, which may indicate the oncogenic or suppressor potential of the molecules in question. This paper discusses the current knowledge about the possibility of using miRNA as a diagnostic marker and a potential target in modern anticancer therapies.

Exploration of Exosomal miRNAs from Serum and Synovial Fluid in Arthritis Patients

Arthritis is caused by inflammation, infection, degeneration, trauma, or other factors that affect approximately 250 million people all over the world. Early diagnosis and prediction are essential for treatment. Exosomes are nanoscale vesicles that participate in the process of joint disease. Serum is the mainly used sources in the study of arthritis-related exosomes, while whether serum exosomes can reflect the contents of synovial fluid exosomes is still unknown. In this work, we separated exosomes from serum and the synovial fluid of osteoarthritis patients and compared their miRNA expression utilizing miRNA sequencing. The results revealed that 31 upregulated and 33 downregulated miRNAs were found in synovial fluid compared to serum. Transcriptome analysis showed that these differentially expressed miRNAs were mainly associated with intercellular processes and metabolic pathways. Our results show that serum-derived exosomes cannot fully represent the exosomes of synovial fluid, which may be helpful for the study of joint diseases and the discovery of early diagnostic biomarkers of arthritis.

Improving Isolation of Extracellular Vesicles by Utilizing Nanomaterials

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) as the new form of cellular communication have been demonstrated their potential use for disease diagnosis, prognosis and treatment. EVs are vesicles with a lipid bilayer and are present in various biofluids, such as blood, saliva and urine. Therefore, EVs have emerged as one of the most appealing sources for the discovery of clinical biomarkers. However, isolation of the target EVs from different biofluids is required for the use of EVs as diagnostic and therapeutic entities in clinical settings. Owing to their unique properties and versatile functionalities, nanomaterials have been widely investigated for EV isolation with the aim to provide rapid, simple, and efficient EV enrichment. Herein, this review presents the progress of nanomaterial-based isolations for EVs over the past five years (from 2017 to 2021) and discusses the use of nanomaterials for EV isolations based on the underlying mechanism in order to offer insights into the design of nanomaterials for EV isolations.

Exosomes: Breast cancer-derived extracellular vesicles; recent key findings and technologies in disease progression, diagnostics, and cancer targeting

Breast cancer is one of the most frequently diagnosed types of cancer in women. Metastasis, particularly to the lungs and brain, increases mortality in breast cancer patients. Recently, breast cancer-related exosomes have received significant attention because of their key role in breast cancer progression. As a result, numerous exosome-based therapeutic tools for diagnosis and treatment have been developed, and their biological and chemical mechanisms have been explored. This review summarizes up-to-date advanced key findings and technologies in breast cancer progression, diagnostics, and targeting. We focused on recent research on the basic biology of exosomes and disease-related exosomal genes and proteins, as well as their signal transduction in cell-to-cell communications, diagnostic markers, and exosome-based antibreast cancer technologies. We also paid special attention to technologies employing exosomes modified with functional peptides for the targeted delivery of therapeutic and diagnostic agents.

Exosomes in triple negative breast cancer: From bench to bedside

Exosomes are lipid bilayer extracellular vesicles with a size of 30-150 nm, which can be released by various types of cells including breast cancer cells. Exosomes are enriched with multiple nucleic acids, lipids, proteins and play critical biological roles by binding to recipient cells and transmitting various biological cargos. Studies have reported that tumor-derived exosomes are involved in cancer initiation and progression, such as promoting cancer invasion and metastasis, accelerating angiogenesis, contributing to epithelial-mesenchymal transition, and enhancing drug resistance in tumors. Recently the dysregulating of exosomes has been found in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), relating to the clinicopathological characteristics and prognosis of TNBC patients. Considering the poor prognosis and lack of adequate response to conventional therapy of TNBC, the discovery of certain exosomes as a new target for diagnosis and treatment of TNBC may be a good choice that provides new opportunities for the early diagnosis, clinical treatment of TNBC. Here, we first discuss the innovative prognostic and predictive effects of exosomes on TNBC, as well as the practical clinical problems. Secondly, we focus on the new therapeutic areas represented by exosomes, especially the impact of introducing exosomes in TNBC treatment in the future.

Advances of Exosomal miRNAs in Breast Cancer Progression and Diagnosis

Breast cancer is one of the most commonly diagnosed malignancies and the leading cause of cancer death in women worldwide. Although many factors associated with breast cancer have been identified, the definite etiology of breast cancer is still unclear. In addition, early diagnosis of breast cancer remains challenging. Exosomes are membrane-bound nanovesicles secreted by most types of cells and contain a series of biologically important molecules, such as lipids, proteins, and miRNAs, etc. Emerging evidence shows that exosomes can affect the status of cells by transmitting substances and messages among cells and are involved in various physiological and pathological processes. In breast cancer, exosomes play a significant role in breast tumorigenesis and progression through transfer miRNAs which can be potential biomarkers for early diagnosis of breast cancer. This review discusses the potential utility of exosomal miRNAs in breast cancer progression such as tumorigenesis, metastasis, immune regulation and drug resistance, and further in breast cancer diagnosis.

A Portable Device for Simple Exosome Separation from Biological Samples

Exosomes are membrane-bound nanovesicles secreted by most types of cells, which contain a series of biologically important molecules, such as miRNAs, proteins, and lipids, etc. Emerging evidence show that exosomes can affect the physiological status of cells and are involved in various pathological processes. However, due to their small size and density close to body fluids, it is challenging to separate exosomes from a small volume of biological samples in a simple manner. Herein, we propose a new strategy for isolating circulating exosomes from biological samples in a portable device. This method synergistically integrates chitosan electrostatic-adsorption, scaffold substrates, and shuttle flow to enable the highly effective capture of circulating exosomes with a recovery rate of over 80% within 20 min, which is much better than the performance of traditional ultracentrifugation (5–25%, 3 h). Besides, the isolated exosomes from samples could be lysed in situ and further subjected to RNA concentration detection and protein analysis. In particular, all the necessary procedures for exosome separation could be integrated into a single device without the need for bulky equipment. This established device is portable and easy to operate, which provides a promising platform for the study of exosome biology and clinical diagnosis.