Improving extracellular vesicles visualization: From static to motion

Sci Rep. 2020 Apr 16;10(1):6494. doi: 10.1038/s41598-020-62920-0.

Abstract

In the last decade, extracellular vesicles (EVs) have become a hot topic. The findings on EVs content and effects have made them a major field of interest in cancer research. EVs, are able to be internalized through integrins expressed in parental cells, in a tissue specific manner, as a key step of cancer progression and pre-metastatic niche formation. However, this specificity might lead to new opportunities in cancer treatment by using EVs as devices for drug delivery. For future applications of EVs in cancer, improved protocols and methods for EVs isolation and visualization are required. Our group has put efforts on developing a protocol able to track the EVs for in vivo internalization analysis. We showed, for the first time, the videos of labeled EVs uptake by living lung cancer cells.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Video-Audio Media

MeSH terms

  • Antineoplastic Agents / administration & dosage
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Disease Progression
  • Drug Carriers
  • Epithelial Cells / cytology*
  • Epithelial Cells / metabolism
  • Extracellular Vesicles / metabolism*
  • Extracellular Vesicles / ultrastructure
  • Humans
  • Intravital Microscopy*
  • Microscopy, Confocal
  • Microscopy, Electron, Scanning
  • Neoplasms / drug therapy
  • Neoplasms / pathology
  • Time-Lapse Imaging
  • Ultracentrifugation / methods

Substances

  • Antineoplastic Agents
  • Drug Carriers