Extracellular vesicles (EVs) regulate many processes in the healthy body. They also play a role in cancer, sending signals between cells in the tumor microenvironment. EVs can stimulate tumor cell migration, invasion, blood vessel growth, immune response, and cell survival, as well as metastasis. However, we know little about the cargo of these EVs that play such diverse roles. Analysis of vesicle cargo can shed light on the molecular mechanisms of vesicle biology and be helpful in disease diagnosis and prognosis.
I am lucky to be a member in Jan Lötvall’s lab in Gothenburg, Sweden, which pioneered the field of extracellular vesicles with the early discovery of exosomes shuttling RNA between cells. An exciting collaboration with Yong Song Gho from POSTECH in South Korea led us to develop a new approach to isolate vesicles from human tumor tissues. Using this technology, we were able to isolate and characterize subpopulations of extracellular vesicles from melanoma metastatic tissue. We just published our findings in the Journal of Extracellular Vesicles. Jan Lötvall also discussed them in a recent ERCC webinar.
