Nishantika Mitra: Optimising a protocol for the isolation and characterisation of plasma extracellular vesicles (EVs)
In recent years extracellular vesicles (EVs), particles encapsulated in a phospholipid bilayer have gained attention for their role in intercellular communication. Found in various biological fluids like saliva and urine, EVs play an essential role in various physiological and pathological processes. EVs are categorised into exosomes (50-200nm), ectosomes/microvesicles (0.1-1µm) and apoptotic bodies (1-5µm) based on their size and origin(8). EVs have evolved as potential disease biomarkers due to their ability to transport essential cargoes like lipids, proteins and genetic materials such as mRNAs and DNA. However, EVs isolation and characterisation presents technical challenges. Thus, methods to accurately profile EVs require robust and standardised isolation and analytical approaches. We hypothesise that Size exclusion chromatography (SEC) will effectively isolate EVs from plasma, enriching them and removing lipoprotein contaminants, thereby preserving the integrity and functionality of the EVs for accurate downstream molecular and functional analyses. |