Abstract

Are Extracellular Vesicles In Liquid Biopsies the Source of My Signals?

Edwin van der Pol, Assistant Professor, Amsterdam University Medical Centers

To discover new biomarkers in blood plasma, bulk assays are frequently applied after particle isolation. Particles of interest include extracellular vesicles (EVs), EV-associated miRNA, and circulating cell-free DNA. Blood plasma, however, is a complex body fluid that contains many other particles, such as lipoprotein particles, protein aggregates, and residual platelets, which may have similar physical properties. Therefore, isolation methods neither enrich nor recover 100% over the particles of interest. Moreover, signals of bulk assays do not necessarily originate from the particles of interest. By combining physical models with new isolation methods and a flow cytometer of which all aspects are calibrated, we gained new insights in the efficacy of methods to isolate and detect EVs and other particles in plasma.