Abstract

Extracellular Vesicle-Derived Analytes for Cancer Progression

Dolores Di Vizio, Professor, Cedars Sinai Medical Center

Cancer-derived extracellular vesicles (EVs) are highly heterogenous and include atypically large particles (1-10 microns), known as large oncosomes that are abundant in PC patients with metastatic PC and are enriched with tumor-derived cargo. Next Generation Sequencing studies (whole genome and whole transcriptome) as well as Mass Spectrometry studies using different approaches, including SILAC, have enabled us to refine the methodologies that allow to isolate and characterize these vesicles in human plasma samples from patients with prostate cancer with high rigor and reproducibility.  We are building upon our studies and moving forward with a deep characterization of the protein content of large oncosomes and the development of a preclinical platform that can help translating our laboratory investigations to the clinic.  One of our long term goals is to undertake an integrative approach that takes advantage of all the macromolecules carried in these tumor-derived particles and ultimately identify epigenomic, metabolic, transcriptional and other functional pathways that can be extracted from plasma vesicles and provide tumor information in real time.