Extracellular Vesicle Isolation and Analysis Using Nanowires
摘要
Extracellular vesicles (EVs) have been considered as biomarkers for diagnosis and prognosis in therapeutic treatments. Although applications of EVs in health care are being started and more are expected, EV studies have not yet provided a deep understanding of EV biogenesis and functions. So, comprehensive study of EVs continues. To gain a better understanding of EVs, the reliable isolation and analysis of EVs are necessary. In addition, the quality and quantity of isolated EVs play a crucial role in EV analysis. Large numbers of studies have been conducted to isolate or analyze EVs with high yield, purity, sensitivity, and selectivity. During the past decade, EV studies have been largely enabled by existing analytical techniques. However, these techniques are still deficient for the isolation of high-yield and high-purity homogeneous EVs and their specific subtypes from complex matrices such as physiological fluids. Nanowires are two-dimensional nanomaterials that have unique properties, such as a high volume-to-surface ratio, a high aspect ratio, and a capacity for integration with microfluidics. Demonstrations of nanowires capturing EVs from various biological samples, such as plasma, serum, and urine, have been made. Additionally, EVs captured on nanowires can be analyzed with their biomolecules, such as miRNAs and membrane proteins, for identification of various diseases. This chapter explores nanowire technology in EV studies, and looks at its challenges and future prospects.