Biophotonics for diagnostic detection of extracellular vesicles

Advances in the Field of Micro- and Nanotechnologies Applied to Extracellular Vesicle Research: Take-Home Message from ISEV2021

“…The study of the parameters influencing and determining the variability in the upstream and downstream procedures are still ongoing and the identification of reference protocols and variables to compare data from multiple laboratories remains a major research focus, especially when dealing with complex human biofluids such as blood. As a matter of fact, the discovery of new biomarkers and new techniques is often brought only to a proof-of-concept level, tested on small (sometimes tiny) numbers of samples [19], and when the numbers increase, the validation step is hampered by the absence of a comparative, widely approved test for proper validation and/or by the paucity of reference material for the standardization of commonly used analysis platforms [20,21].…”

“…Because of the present difficulties in the standardization of the isolation procedures and in the application of "cell-calibrated" techniques to natural nanoparticles, innovative strategies have been proposed [19,[22][23][24][25] and new technology advancements are continuously emerging in the field of EV research. Below, we report on the recent updates in the field of micro-and nanotechnologies applied to EV research that were presented in May 2021 at the 10th ISEV Annual Meeting.…”

“…Recently reviews considered how innovative technologies such as vibrational spectroscopies, spectrometry and other biophotonics-based techniques [19,24] are finding valuable application in the biomedical field; nevertheless, the volumes and amounts of material might be limitations for the application of traditional biophotonics techniques to natural nanoparticles. For example, to overcome such limitations, crosslinking mass spectrometry has been proposed when working with EVs.…”

“…Such concerns often slow the translation to clinics of EV research and limit the undertaking of multicentered studies for the validation of results. In this framework, considering the growing application of nanoscale flow cytometry (nFC) in biomedical research, in particular in diagnostics [19], the importance of calibration and standardization was stressed for all characterization methods. Indeed, nFC is a powerful and rapid method that combines fluorescence and light-scattering detection and the spreading of its application requires the identification of the optimal settings and recommendations for the reproducible enumeration of EVs.…”

Exosomal miR-140-5p inhibits osteogenesis by targeting IGF1R and regulating the mTOR pathway in ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament

“…The various vesicles secreted by cells can be distinguished by their diameters. Exosomes, with a diameter of 50 nm-150 nm, are considered to be active substances with strong biological effects [ 13 , 14 ]. Exosomes are generally released through multivesicular exocytosis and participate in intercellular signal transduction.…”