Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are heterogenous lipid membrane-encapsulated particles secreted by all cells in the human body. EVs carry cargo from their parental cells including proteins, nucleic acids, and other small biomolecules. Because EVs can transit from tissue sites into the bloodstream, analysis of these circulating EVs holds unique potential for minimally invasive detection, diagnosis, and surveillance of a wide variety of disorders, including cancer, neurodegenerative disease, and cardiovascular disease.
We are pioneering ultra-sensitive technologies to: (1) discover EV-associated biomarkers that accurately reflect disease states, and (2) capture and simultaneously characterize multiple protein and nucleic acid biomarkers in circulating EVs at single-EV and single-molecule resolution. These technologies enable us to profile EVs in disease at a breadth and depth that have not been previously possible. We are harnessing these technologies to develop next-generation EV-based diagnostics for cancer and neurodegenerative disease.
Internally funded by:
