Extracellular Vesicles 2016 Agenda

Registration

Standardisation of Extracellular Vesicle Measurements
Edwin van der Pol, Postdoctoral Researcher, Amsterdam University, Netherlands

Extracellular vesicles are heterogeneous in all their aspects, they are isolated using different protocols, and they are measured by different techniques. Therefore, data interpretation and comparison is challenging. This lecture focuses on standardization of extracellular vesicle isolation and detection.

Large Oncosomes: New Frontiers for Cell-to-Cell Communication in Cancer
Dolores Di Vizio, Professor, Cedars Sinai Medical Center, United States of America

Large oncosomes are a distinct type of extracellular vesicles that originate from the shedding of bulky membrane blebs. The abundance of large oncosomes in the circulation and in tissues correlates with advanced disease in mouse models and patients with cancer. Large oncosomes represent a novel population of EVs and valuable candidates for identification of new cancer-specific biomarkers.

Coffee & Networking

Therapeutic Potentials of Mesenchymal Stem Cell-derived Extracellular Vesicles
Bernd Giebel, Group Leader, Institute for Transfusion Medicine, University Hospital Duisburg-Essen, Germany

MSCs have been used to treat a variety of different diseases such as myocardial infarction, stroke and graft-versus-host disease (GvHD). Initially, MSCs were thought to replace lost cells in damaged tissues. Despite contrary reports regarding the outcome of MSC treatments, MSCs seem to exert their beneficial effects by the secretion of immunosuppressive factors and/or small extracellular vesicles (EVs, 70-150 nm), such as exosomes and microvesicles, rather than by interacting into affected tissues. After setting up techniques for the characterization and large scale preparation of EVs, we have treated a steroid-refractory GvHD patient with EVs/exosomes enriched from MSC supernatants (MSC-EVs). In addition we investigate the MSC-EVs’ therapeutic potential to exert neuroprotective functions in animal models for ischemic stroke and preterm brain injury. So far, we observed beneficial effects in all settings. In the murine stroke model we performed a side by side comparison of the therapeutic effect of MSCs and their EVs and did not recognize any differences, both improved the symptoms significantly. At the functional level MSC-EVs were shown to exert immunosuppressive functions in vivo and in vitro.

Production of Functionally Bioactive EVs from an Immortalized Human Neural Stem Cell (hNSC) Line
Randolph Corteling, Head of Research, ReNeuron Ltd., United Kingdom

To ensure the large scale required for clinical research and development, producer cell immortalization and clonal isolation is a practical strategy to produce consistent, functionally bioactive exosomes for use as therapeutic agents.

Lunch & Networking

Poster Viewing Session

The Significant Function of EVs in Aging and Cancer
Hidetoshi Tahara, Deputy Executive Director, Industry-Academia Collaboration; Professor, Department of Cellular and Molecular Biology; Head, The Research Center for Drug development and Biomarker Discovery, Hiroshima University, Japan

The secretion of EVs from senescent fibroblast cells may contribute to tumor microenvironment. Senescent cells and cancer cells may be fighting each other by shooting own EVs.

Coffee & Networking

Long Distance Signaling Between Tissues Via Extracellular Vesicles
Stefan Momma, Group Leader, University Hospital Frankfurt, Germany

In this talk we will present a novel method to investigate the extent and function of EV mediated signalling in vivo.

Extracellular Vesicles from Basic Biology to Next Generation Therapy: A Translational Perspective
Ahmed Ibrahim, Research Scientist, Capricor Therapeutics, United States of America

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are nano-sized lipid bilayer particles secreted by all cells and transmit bioactive signals including proteins and RNA. EVs secreted by Cardiosphere-derived cells regenerate damaged tissue and currently being developed as a next generation therapeutic product.

Punting on the River Cam
The tour takes in seven riverside colleges and nine famous bridges, the Punt Chauffeur will give an entertaining commentary and history overview of each.

End of Day One

Exosome Transfer from Glia to Neurons: Trigger of Release, Mechanisms of Uptake, Physiological Impact
Eva-Maria Krämer-Albers, Group Leader, University of Mainz, Germany

Communication between glia and neurons is important for brain homeostasis and performance. This presentation will highlight signal-mediated delivery of exosomes from oligodendrocytes to neurons and its functional relevance for neuronal integrity.

Signaling Properties Of Stem Cell Vesicles
Stefano Pluchino, Principal Investigator, University of Cambridge, United Kingdom

This presentation will focus on defining whether the form of cellular signalling mediated by extracellular membrane vesicles (EVs) exists for neural stem/precursor cells (NPCs), and on its molecular signature and functional relevance on target cells. We also investigated whether the EV cargo molecules are modulated by extracellular pro- or anti-inflammatory cytokines, determined the key elements responsible for this novel mechanism of EV-mediated intercellular communication, and finally reflected on the forthcoming challenges related to the translation of these exciting experimental proofs into ready-to-use clinical medicines for inflammatory CNS diseases.

Coffee & Networking

Can Glioblastoma Extracellular Vesicles Drive Normal Astrocytes Toward a Tumor-Enhancing Phenotype?
Michael Graner, Professor, Dept of Neurosurgery, University of Colorado Anschutz School of Medicine, United States of America

High-grade gliomas are deadly, incurable cancers. We propose that glioma EVs promote a tumor-receptive environment by co-opting neighboring astrocytes to support tumor progression by convincing the astrocytes that they, too, are tumor cells.

Role of Extracellular Vesicles in Thrombosis: Therapeutic Target and Biomarker Potential
Romaric Lacroix, Associate Professor, Aix-Marseille University, France

Microparticles have mainly been described as procoagulant entities; however, we will discuss a new vision of MPs as ambivalent structures that express both procoagulant and profibrinolytic properties and its consequences on MPs as therapeutic target and biomarker potential.

The Role of Exosomes in Vascular Calcification
Alexander Kapustin, Research Associate, King's College London, United Kingdom

This talk will focus on the mechanisms involved in initiating the first nidus for pathological mineralization in the vessel wall on membrane bound vesicles released by vascular smooth muscle cells.

Lunch & Networking

Poster Viewing Session

Apoptotic Cell-Derived Extracellular Vesicles – A Matter of Death and Life
Andrew Devitt, Director of Research for the Cell & Tissue Biomedical Research Group, Aston University, United Kingdom

Cells undergoing apoptosis have long been known to release large fragments (apoptotic bodies) derived from the plasma membrane though the functional significance is only now being understood. This talk will introduce Aston University’s current structure-function studies of Apoptotic Cell-derived Extracellular Vesicles (ACdEV).

Cancer Management-Induced Changes in Extracellular Vesicle Release and Content
Olivier De Wever, Professor, Ghent University, Belgium

To evaluate EV number and content we first evaluated which isolation and characterization protocols are most suitable. We created an expandable open-source knowledgebase and we performed a comparative evaluation to assist in taking the correct isolation and characterization method.

Coffee & Networking

Special Delivery; The Peculiarities of Exosomal-TGFb in the Cancer Microenvironment
Jason Webber, Research Fellow, Cardiff University, United Kingdom

With an emphasis on prostate cancer, I aim to convince the audience that exosomal (not soluble) TGFß, is the key modulator of tumour stroma driving multiple changes that support disease progression.

Close of Conference