The vast system of blood vessels stretches over 60 miles long, making it vulnerable to some life-threatening diseases. Most people often don't know they suffer from vascular diseases such as aneurysms.
Conventional technology in medicine uses imaging techniques such as CT scans to provide information about the anatomical structures of blood vessels that can guide the experts in giving a diagnosis. However, this approach faces challenges regarding radiation exposure, especially if the patient needs to be routinely tracked for an aneurysm.
A New Standard in Plasma Isolation
University of North Carolina School of Medicine student J. Nathaniel Diehl led research that aims at determining the effectiveness of a new protocol in controlling extracellular vesicles in improving the diagnosis and treatment of diseases. The study, which was published in PLOS ONE, focused on a protocol for the isolation and quantification of plasma EVs to help laboratories measure the amount and size of these particles in an individual's bloodstream.
More focus is given to individuals with Marfan syndrome and other connective tissue disorders to understand the biology and pathology of aortic aneurysm progression. By gathering more information about EVs, methods for earlier diagnosis and possible treatments can be further developed.
During the development stage of the protocol, the researchers address the challenge of its ability to measure EV concentration and size distribution in a reliable and reproducible way. The protocol developed by Diehl and his team provided specific guidance in human plasma isolation, especially in its peripheral blood draw component. Researchers have also proven that their protocol can identify biomarker features in human plasma.
Diehl hopes the protocol will help laboratories identify patients needing treatment without invasive or expensive tests. Instead of the conventional testing procedure, the patients can just provide their blood samples, and the laboratory will test their blood for EVs.
Overview of Extracellular Vesicles
Extracellular vesicles are diverse, lipid-bound particles released by most cells that separate and circulate throughout the body. They have been shown to act as a vital component in long-range intercellular communication in the body. Scientists have known for a long time that cells release vesicles to the extracellular environment during the process of apoptosis. However, it was only later that they realized that EVs are also released by healthy cells.
In the past, researchers thought EVs were just cellular debris until they finally discovered the importance of these fragments in the body. They discovered that EVs perform the biological processes of delivering proteins, metabolites, and nucleic acids to the receiving cell. They also have a significant role in developing diseases such as pancreatic cancer, multiple myeloma, or even Marfan syndrome. According to Nature Journal, studying extracellular vesicles is vital in understanding cell biology and finding the clinical use of these particles as potential sources of biomarkers for cell behaviors.
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